PiS MP Paweł Jabłoński believes that Leszek Kraskowski’s detention and arrest may have involved a violation of the right to defence. The politician announced that he would refer the matter to the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, citing a possible breach of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Investigative journalist Leszek Kraskowski, known for revealing information inconvenient to Roman Giertych (Civic Coalition), including the Polnord case, was arrested at the beginning of the week and held for three months. According to statements from the prosecutor’s office, he has been charged with making criminal threats and with illegal possession of a gas pistol and ammunition without a permit. For several days, the journalist has been unable to contact his defence lawyer.
This was reportedly supposed to happen on Friday at the Warsaw detention centre in Białołęka. Yet despite the passing hours, there is still no information indicating that the arrested journalist has met with his attorney.
Today, at around 10 a.m., attorney Łukasz Pawelski, while waiting outside the detention centre, told TV Republika:
“This morning I came here specifically for procedural steps. I reported to the duty officer, asking to be allowed to contact my client. I reminded him that I was here yesterday, your camera was also here, and it was recorded when I received information that the shift commander told me to come for a meeting with my client at 8 a.m. That was not a message saying that I should merely show up and try to get in. I was told: please come at 8 a.m. And today I hear that if I want to make an appointment, I can call you from 8 a.m. and then they will make it possible. I had already been here since 7:20 a.m.; I wanted to enter at 8…”
Jabłoński to take the matter “higher”
PiS MP Paweł Jabłoński announced that he would refer the case of Leszek Kraskowski’s detention and arrest to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. As he wrote on social media, in his opinion the case may have involved a violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees, among other things, the right to a fair trial and the right to defence.
“I have no doubt that the arrest of Leszek Kraskowski, while depriving him of the right to assistance from a defence lawyer, constitutes a violation by the prosecutor’s office and the court of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to a court and to defend themselves against charges, including at the stage of a motion for pre-trial detention,”
Jabłoński wrote on X.
The politician also announced further action at the international level.
“That is why, later today, I will also notify the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights about this case. Recently, he intervened in Polish courts over the deportation of illegal immigrants. I hope that appropriate action will also be taken in this case,”
the PiS MP wrote.