A court in Schleswig-Holstein has refused Poland’s request to extradite a man wanted under a European Arrest Warrant, citing a series of concerns regarding the Polish prison system. The court expressed fears that the man could face a risk of “inhuman treatment.”
“The court in Schleswig-Holstein did not agree to extradite to Poland a man sought under a European Arrest Warrant. The Pole has been released,” the news outlet Deutsche Welle reported.
Under the ruling, the 60-year-old was released from extradition custody. The court justified its decision by arguing that there are “systemic deficiencies” in the Polish prison system and that detention conditions do not meet human rights standards. It added that the concerns had not been dispelled by assurances provided by the Polish authorities.
Attorney Bartosz Lewandowski reacted to the reports. He first recalled that responsibility for the prison system in Poland lies with Deputy Justice Minister Maria Ejchart.
“A court in a country with a ‘higher legal culture’ — as some claim — has just harshly criticized the condition of our prison system, which had already been criticized by, among others, Ombudsman Adam Bodnar, and yet nothing is currently being done to improve it,” he wrote on X.
Lewandowski also linked the German court’s decision to the situation of politicians being prosecuted by Poland’s ruling coalition. He stated that “after the infamous remark about kidnapping opposition MPs and transporting them in a car trunk, a new argument has now emerged.”
“Poland under the rule of Donald Tusk and Waldemar Żurek does not guarantee an adequate prison system and therefore does not guarantee respect for human rights.”
Lewandowski’s post was amplified by Professor Ireneusz Kamiński, who asked: “The beginning of a series?”