“I am extremely angry about what happened. I am angry at those officials who supposedly tried to protect me in such a way that I would not actually be protected, while shifting responsibility for their own shortcomings and mistakes onto me,” said Aleksandra Scheybal, assistant to the president of TV Republika, who was handcuffed by police officers three weeks ago.
Controversial intervention at the apartment of TV Republika’s president
Three weeks ago, police entered the apartment that also serves as the office of Tomasz Sakiewicz. The intervention was launched following a report of an alleged child suicide attempt. According to Sakiewicz, after entering the apartment, officers failed to identify themselves and then handcuffed his assistant, Aleksandra Scheybal. Individuals present at the scene also claimed that the officers searched the premises.
Appearing on TV Republika, Scheybal described the events in detail.
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. In fact, I feel fine. It was a situation that taught me a great deal. Thanks to it, I learned a lot about how the Polish state functions. At that point, we had already known for two days that false alarms were being reported. Police, firefighters, and paramedics had been dispatched to the homes of our colleagues from the newsroom. We could expect another such intervention, and that is exactly what happened,” she said.
She added that another important aspect was that the premises served both as a newsroom and as Sakiewicz’s private residence.
“As for my behavior when the police arrived, I could not allow myself to open the door without the owner’s consent while he was present, nor could I allow people into the apartment without his permission,” she stressed.
“I did not invite them in”
Scheybal recounted that she arrived at the apartment around 11 a.m. Together with Sakiewicz’s wife, she was helping prepare him for a trip to Kraków and ceremonies at Battle of Monte Cassino.
According to her account, shortly before they were about to leave, the intercom rang.
“Someone downstairs said that an ambulance had arrived for a person who was feeling unwell or dying. I replied that we had not called an ambulance, that nobody in the apartment was ill, and that it was a mistake. Then I hung up,” she said.
Moments later, the intercom rang again, followed by noise in the stairwell and a knock at the apartment door.
Scheybal said she asked Sakiewicz whether she could open the door. When she did, she saw two uniformed officers and paramedics standing behind them.
“They said it was an intervention that was being recorded. They used the phrase: ‘We’ll come in and talk.’ Their name tags had been removed. I told them I was not inviting them into the apartment. I asked them to explain what this was about. They did not identify themselves. They showed no document proving that they were not impostors,” she recalled.
“Everything happened within seconds”
Scheybal stated that the situation quickly escalated. The officers allegedly asked whether there was a boy in the apartment. She replied that there was no child present, but the officers insisted they had to verify that fact.
When she attempted to ask Sakiewicz once more whether he consented to their entry, one of the officers allegedly raised his voice, told her not to close the door, blocked it with his hand, and entered the apartment.
According to her account, the officers immediately demanded her identity card.
Scheybal emphasized that they did not first ask for her personal details but instead demanded a document. She pointed out that Polish citizens are not legally required to carry an identity card at all times.
When she asked the officers to identify themselves, she said she was threatened with being taken to a police station if she failed to produce identification.
“That was when I was handcuffed,” she said, adding that it happened within the first few dozen seconds of the interaction.
“My rights were trampled”
Scheybal argued that her fundamental civil rights had been violated.
She stated that her rights had been “trampled,” citing constitutional guarantees related to human dignity, personal liberty, and the right to privacy. In her view, the manner in which she was treated by the officers was unacceptable.
“I am extremely angry about what happened. I am angry at those officials who supposedly tried to protect me in such a way that I would not actually be protected, while shifting responsibility for their own shortcomings and mistakes onto me,” she said.
Body-camera footage still unavailable
Scheybal also pointed out that the individuals involved have still not received footage from an officer’s body-worn camera.
According to her, it is known that only one such recording exists, but it has not been released. The footage is currently in the possession of prosecutors, who, she claims, have refused to disclose it until the investigation is completed.
She also addressed comments that appeared online following the incident, describing some of the posts directed at her as “disgusting.”
In particular, she criticized remarks made by Kazimierz Sowa, saying that such comments should never have come from a member of the clergy.
Legal action planned
Scheybal concluded by announcing that she intends to pursue legal action.
“A lawsuit is currently being prepared. I have the right to compensation for the way I was treated,” she said.