The death of 66-year-old Barbara Skrzypek, a longtime associate of the Law and Justice party (PiS), following a multi-hour interrogation by prosecutor Ewa Wrzosek, is causing growing international controversy. The well-known conservative analysis portal The European Conservative, in describing this shocking case, points to the authoritarian tendencies of the Polish authorities who, under the guise of upholding the rule of law, are destroying political opponents. The title of the article leaves no doubt: “Persecuted to Death? Welcome to Tusk’s Poland”
Written by Álvaro Peñas – a journalist specializing in Central and Eastern European affairs – the article acquaints European readers with the latest dramatic events in Poland. The story of Barbara Skrzypek, who died three days after an exhausting interrogation regarding the so-called “Two Towers” scandal, becomes, in the author’s view, a symbol of the “totalitarian drift” of Donald Tusk’s government. According to The European Conservative, authoritarian actions by the current administration, such as shutting down media outlets or imprisoning opposition MPs, undermine the narrative of defending the rule of law so eagerly promoted by Brussels.
Peñas stresses that the Skrzypek case is not an isolated incident but part of a wider trend in Poland:
“Since coming to power, the Polish government led by Donald Tusk has taken a series of measures against the conservative opposition that are hardly in keeping with the vaunted rule of law that Brussels claims to defend so much.”
According to Peñas, Skrzypek, who had supported Jarosław Kaczyński for decades, was summoned on March 12 for questioning in connection with a reopened alleged scandal from 2018–2019. Her lawyer, Krzysztof Gotkowicz, was not allowed to participate, despite emphasizing his client’s “poor health and the stress caused by having to testify.” Prosecutor Ewa Wrzosek concluded that “these health problems were not enough to interrupt the proceedings.” After nearly five hours, Skrzypek had difficulty breathing and died on Saturday evening. The Warsaw prosecutor’s office maintains that her death occurred “occurred in the early hours of March 15, in an apartment, in the presence of a family member,” with a doctor recording “sudden death of unknown cause,” The European Conservative explains.
The author describes how PiS circles reacted to the tragedy, as well as the explanations provided by the prosecutor’s office.
The European Conservative also highlights prosecutor Wrzosek’s political involvement – from participation in an anti-PiS march in 2023 to her links with Civic Platform – raising questions about the prosecution’s impartiality. The portal notes that President Andrzej Duda has demanded an explanation.