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Polish President Andrzej Duda has recently invoked his right to grant clemency, releasing two individuals convicted of attempted robbery, including Marika M. The decision, announced on December 8, 2023, stems from considerations of justice, humanitarian factors, the incidental nature of the act, the defendants’ young age during the offense, expressions of remorse, partial sentence completion, and meeting financial obligations imposed by the court.
Marika M., previously sentenced to three years for attempting to snatch a rainbow bag during an LGBT organization’s rally in Poznań in August 2020, is reported to be one of the recipients of the presidential pardon. The Institute of Ordo Iuris, which provided legal assistance to Marika, confirmed the clemency.
Attorney General Zbigniew Ziobro, in July 2023, asserted that Marika was a victim of robbery herself—stripped of freedom and subjected to judicial force to secure her imprisonment. In response to the pardon, Ziobro ordered a temporary halt to Marika’s imprisonment, pending an extraordinary appeal to the Supreme Court.