“Even under these conditions—when judges are being intimidated or replaced—a Polish court has ruled that suppressing criticism of the government and barring journalists from press conferences is unacceptable,” Tomasz Sakiewicz said in response to today’s ruling. The Warsaw District Court upheld an appeal filed by Telewizja Republika and ordered the prosecutor’s office to continue its investigation into the exclusion of the station’s journalists from press conferences held by the Ministry of Culture and the Chancellery of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “This is a great day and a major victory for freedom of speech,” the president of Republika concluded.
As we reported earlier today, Telewizja Republika has won its case against the prosecutor’s office. The matter concerns an investigation into journalists being denied access to press conferences held by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Ministry of Culture. In April, a prosecutor from the Warsaw-Śródmieście Północ District Prosecutor’s Office refused to initiate proceedings in the case. That decision was appealed by Telewizja Republika and the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT). Under today’s court ruling, the investigation will now proceed.
“A great day and a major victory for freedom of speech,” said Republika’s head, Tomasz Sakiewicz, commenting on the court victory.
“Even in these circumstances—when judges are intimidated or replaced—a Polish court has recognized that suppressing government criticism and barring journalists from press conferences is unacceptable. One of those conferences—let me remind you—concerned the flood response headquarters. That means reporting and asking questions were blocked in a situation posing an absolute threat to people’s health and lives,” he said on the station’s air.
The court ordered that the matter be investigated to determine whether a crime was committed at the Ministry of Culture and subsequently at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister under Donald Tusk. “The prosecutor’s office can now examine whether they jointly formed a criminal group together with ‘Colonel’ Sienkiewicz,” he added.
In his view, it is now necessary to determine whether they acted “jointly and in concert” with the aim of restricting press criticism and curtailing freedom of speech.
“One swallow does not make a spring, but quite a few swallows have appeared recently. We are facing a wave of trials in the coming weeks. We know about actions intended to destroy Telewizja Republika, but on the other hand it is clear that judges do not want to carry out the orders of those in power—certainly not all judges,” Sakiewicz emphasized.
He also stressed that such a courageous judge—who made today’s decision (Judge Marcin Czerwiński)—is changing Poland’s reality. “It turns out that a Polish court can take risks. It can issue an order to prosecute the minister of culture, or people connected to the minister of culture and to the current prime minister. This is a qualitative change—a qualitative leap,” Sakiewicz assessed.
He also recalled his recent court victory against Tomasz Grodzki, describing today’s ruling as “another great swallow” heralding further change.