World Report 2008: Poland
World Report 2008: Poland
Freedom of the Press 2007: Poland
Freedom of the Press 2007: Poland
Two newspaper editors to be held in police custody for 48 hours prior to libel trial
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned legislation that enabled a Warsaw court on 30 October 2007 to order that the editor of the national weekly “Gazeta Polska”, Tomasz Sakiewicz, and his deputy, Katarzyna Hejke, should be held in police custody for two days prior to the start of a libel trial on 14 December […]
Les services spéciaux arrêtent l’ex-ministre qui a dénoncé les mises sur écoutes de journalistes
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters sans frontières a appris, le 30 août 2007, que les services spéciaux étaient entrés, tôt dans la matinée, dans l’appartement du journaliste indépendant Sylwester Latkowski afin d’y interpeller, pour “entrave à la justice”, l’ancien ministre de l’Intérieur, Janusz Kaczmarek. Il est poursuivi dans le cadre d’une enquête sur une fuite concernant une […]
Secret services arrest former minister who exposed phone tapping
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has learned that members of the special services entered the apartment of freelance journalist Sylwester Latkowski in the early hours of 30 August 2007 in order to arrest former interior minister Janusz Kaczmarek in connection with a leak about an anti-corruption operation. Kaczmarek, who was fired as interior minister at […]
Ex-minister accuses intelligence services of tapping journalists’ phones
(RSF/IFEX) – Former government member Janusz Kaczmarek, who was fired as interior minister in early August 2007, reportedly told a behind-closed-doors meeting of the parliamentary commission for the secret services on 22 August that the phones of journalists critical of the government were tapped on the orders of justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro and Prime Minister […]
Journalist sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, fined for defaming judge
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 23 July 2007 IPI letter to Polish President Lech Kaczynski: H.E. Lech Kaczynski President of Poland Kancelaria Prezydenta RP ul. Wiejska 10 00-902 Warsaw Poland Fax: (+ 48 22) 695 12 53 Vienna, 23 July 2007 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media […]
Spanish daily and Catalan feminist face trial in Wroclaw for “defaming Poland”
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned a lawsuit that was brought against the Spanish daily “El País” in the southwestern city of Wroclaw on 5 June 2007 accusing it of “defaming the Polish people” in an article by former Spanish parliamentarian Pilar Rahola entitled “Poland still freezes the soul” that was published on 17 […]
New “vetting” law may have serious impact on media, says IPI
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release: IPI Concerned by New Polish “Vetting” Law On 15 March, a new law entered into force that the International Press Institute (IPI) believes may have severe implications for the Polish media. Known as the “Lustration Act,” the new legislation obliges individuals born before 1 August 1972 […]
Government proposes law censoring discussion of homosexuality in schools, academic institutions
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a 19 March 2007 Human Rights Watch press release: Poland: School Censorship Proposal Threatens Basic Rights (New York, March 19, 2007) – The Polish government’s proposed legislation to censor all discussion of homosexuality in schools and other academic institutions would violate freedom of speech and impede free access to information, […]
Court halts appeal by editor facing imprisonment for libel; IPI urges presidential pardon
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 22 January 2007 IPI letter to Polish President Lech Kaczyński: H.E. Lech Kaczyński President of Poland Kancelaria Prezydenta RP ul. Wiejska 10 00-902 Warsaw Poland Fax: (+ 48 22) 695-12-53 Vienna, 22 January 2007 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and […]
Constitutional courts uphold defamation as a criminal offence: journalist Andrzej Marek could be sent back to prison
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the Polish constitutional court’s decision to uphold Article 212 of the Criminal Code, under which defaming or publicly humiliating someone is punishable by up to a year in prison, or two years if done in the media. “Confirming Article 212 endorses the highest judicial authorities’ refusal to let Poland’s legislation […]
Pressure on German journalists continues in wake of article making fun of Polish president
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has expressed alarm at the Polish government’s campaign against the German daily “Die Tageszeitung” and its reporter Peter Kohler, who wrote an article last month poking fun at President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who are identical twin brothers. On 7 July 2006, the worldwide press freedom organisation […]
Police shut down neo-fascist website that threatened journalists
(RSF/IFEX) – On 5 July 2006, police closed the Polish website of Redwatch, an international neo-fascist group based in the United States. The http://www.redwatch.info/sites/redwatch.htm site had posted the names of at least 17 journalists, calling them “traitors to the race” and threatening them with reprisals for their anti-fascist views. The Polish authorities also shut down […]
Government demands closure of far-right website
(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 May 2006, the Polish government called on US authorities to shut down the far-right Internet website Redwatch, which is run from the United States, a government spokesman said. The move follows a 24 May appeal by RSF to Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro to investigate far-right Polish groups, such as “Blood […]
Threats to 15 journalists appear on neo-fascist website
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has written to Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro to alert him to serious threats being made against Polish journalists by Redwatch, an extreme right-wing group that advocates violence. Redwatch-Poland ( http://www.redwatch.info/sites/redwatch.htm ) has posted a list of 15 left-wing and far-left journalists and directly threatened them with reprisals for their […]