“It’s not for criticism, but for serious defamation. (…) and so he will go to prison. This is only the first of your ‘journalists.’ In the end, your time will come too,” wrote Roman Giertych, commenting on the case of Adam Borowski. The post by the former leader of the League of Polish Families (LPR) sparked an uproar following news of a six-month unconditional prison sentence for the anti-communist opposition activist and head of the Warsaw Gazeta Polska Club.
Roman Giertych addressed the conviction of Adam Borowski on social media; Borowski claims that he learned of the verdict only after some time had passed. Giertych’s post was directed straight at Tomasz Sakiewicz, who had earlier reported: “Adam Borowski has suffered a stroke and has cancer. He is to go to prison for six months for criticizing Giertych.”
“It’s not for criticism, but for serious defamation. He undertook to apologize and did not apologize. The court granted a conditional discontinuance with the obligation to apologize, and again he failed to do so; he will go to prison,”
Giertych stated.
“When it’s time to go behind bars, somehow everyone is ill. However, if in this case that is true, he can always apply for a postponement of the execution of the sentence. The court will appoint an expert and have him examined,”
he added.
Borowski was sentenced to six months of unconditional imprisonment under Article 212 §2 of the Criminal Code, in proceedings initiated by a private prosecution brought by Roman Giertych. The case concerned a statement made more than a year ago on the air of TV Republika.
The case was heard by a Warsaw court. The private prosecutor argued that Borowski’s statements could have “demeaned him in the eyes of the public or exposed him to a loss of the trust necessary to practice as an attorney.” Giertych also sought PLN 200,000 in damages.
Adam Borowski himself emphasized in an interview on TV Republika that he was unaware that a verdict had been issued.
“The verdict was handed down earlier; I learned about it today (…) I didn’t even know there was a six-month sentence,”
he said.
As he noted, his lack of knowledge of the ruling deprived him of the opportunity to file an appeal. In a broader context, he also referred to the political situation in Poland.
“At the moment when this government began to govern and to break the law and the Constitution, I knew we had to be ready for sacrifices (…) this authority is an evil authority that wants to introduce terror here,”
he stated.
“I am ready to go to prison to overthrow this authority, because this authority is anti-Polish. Every day of its rule is a loss for Poles and for Poland. I did not slander Mr. Giertych, I told the truth,”
Borowski also added.