The District Court in Warsaw has overturned the prosecutor’s decision to discontinue an investigation into threats and aggressive online posts directed at journalists of TV Republika: Danuta Holecka, Michał Rachoń, Tomasz Sakiewicz, Tomasz Duklanowski, and Janusz Życzkowski. By court order, the case returns to the prosecutor for further proceedings.
Court Overturns Prosecutor’s Decision – Threats Against Republika Journalists in the Background
In its reasoning, the court delivered a highly critical assessment of the investigators’ actions. It stated that the proceedings “were not conducted in an exhaustive and comprehensive manner”, and that the prosecution failed to carry out “all actions that should have led to a thorough clarification of the case”.
The court also emphasized that the posts directed at the journalists had an “extremely strong and vulgar, but also unequivocal in their tone character”. At the same time, it challenged the investigators’ position, who claimed that the publications “do not contain categorical, firm, unambiguous statements that could be interpreted as threats”.
The justification further indicated that the prosecution prematurely concluded that “objectively there was no fear that these threats would be carried out”, despite not conducting all necessary evidentiary actions. The court pointed out that some of the victims and the authors of the posts were not questioned, even though some of the perpetrators’ data was known to law enforcement authorities.
The court also stressed that “the attitude of the public prosecutor is completely unacceptable”, consisting of “turning a blind eye” to such behavior. The justification further noted that “there is no place in the Polish legal order for behavior constituting criminal acts, for behavior insulting other persons, or for behavior suppressing the rights of others”.
The document also references the possible “suppression of press criticism”, with the court noting that the case concerns journalists “opposed to those in power”. Particularly strong and brutal posts – as stated in the reasoning – were directed at Danuta Holecka and Tomasz Sakiewicz.
“The court’s justification in our case, which orders the continuation of the investigation, is remarkable. It almost points to the authorities as having provoked the current attacks”, commented Tomasz Sakiewicz, CEO of the station.