“Prosecutor Piotr Woźniak did not apply to the court to resolve the dispute over journalistic privilege. Instead, he decided on his own that Tomasz Sakiewicz was not acting in this case as a journalist, but as the CEO of TV Republika, and then fined him PLN 3,000 for refusing to answer. “This prosecutor Woźniak wants to break journalistic privilege by means of a decision, meaning he does not even foresee the involvement of a court in this case”, said former Deputy Minister of Justice Michał Woś on TV Republika.
On Tuesday, the National Prosecutor’s Office once again summoned Tomasz Sakiewicz, CEO of TV Republika, to be questioned as a witness. The summons concerns a case conducted against, among others, former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro. The questioning was scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the National Prosecutor’s Office (3 Postępu Street, Warsaw).
A repeated summons. Tomasz Sakiewicz responds
“You are obliged to submit all documentation (originals or certified copies) concerning the employment of Zbigniew Ziobro at TV Republika S.A.”, reads the letter signed by Prosecutor Piotr Woźniak from the National Prosecutor’s Office. Importantly – this is already the second time Tomasz Sakiewicz has been summoned by the prosecutor’s office led by Waldemar Żurek and Dariusz Korneluk in connection with the Zbigniew Ziobro case. The first questioning took place at the National Prosecutor’s Office headquarters on May 20, 2026.
In response, Tomasz Sakiewicz stated that he would not be able to appear for Thursday’s questioning.
“Unfortunately, I cannot appear at the prosecutor’s office, not only because the deadline was not respected, but also because I have a court hearing that day which I am obliged to attend”, he wrote on social media, attaching a scan of a request to change the date of the questioning.
Journalistic privilege “waived” by Woźniak’s decision
After the first questioning of Tomasz Sakiewicz at the National Prosecutor’s Office building in May, the prosecutor’s office imposed a penalty on the CEO of TV Republika – for allegedly “groundlessly evading giving testimony”.
In a decision dated May 25, 2026, Prosecutor Piotr Woźniak imposed a disciplinary fine of PLN 3,000 on Tomasz Sakiewicz. As stated in the document, the prosecutor, “acting pursuant to Article 285 § 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in conjunction with Article 287 § 1”, decided “to impose a financial penalty of PLN 3,000 on witness Tomasz Sakiewicz”.
However, the reasoning behind the decision reveals a questionable logic on the part of the prosecutor’s office. During the questioning, Sakiewicz indicated that he would provide answers only when summoned by “a legally acting prosecutor”, and he also invoked his obligation to maintain journalistic privilege under Article 15 of the Press Law. He also stressed that details concerning employment had been reserved by a person concerned about their safety.
Prosecutor Woźniak, however, decided that he himself would determine that journalistic privilege does not apply in this case. In the decision, he stated that “witness Tomasz Sakiewicz was not summoned for questioning as a journalist and not to testify on matters covered by journalistic privilege, but as the CEO of Telewizja Republika S.A. and a potential employer of the sought-after Zbigniew Ziobro”.
As a result, Woźniak concluded that the journalist “groundlessly refused to testify within the meaning of Article 287 § 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure” and imposed a financial penalty.
This raises a fundamental question as to whether a prosecutor can independently determine the scope of journalistic privilege protection and then punish a journalist for refusing to disclose information that the journalist considers protected by law. In practice, this would mean that the prosecuting authority first sets the boundaries of the privilege itself and then penalizes compliance with it.
Woś: Prosecutor Woźniak wants to break journalistic privilege by decision
Michał Woś, former Deputy Minister of Justice, was asked about the matter on TV Republika. “Is Donald Tusk’s government hunting journalists today?”, the politician from Law and Justice (PiS) was asked. In this context, Woś also referred to the case of Leszek Kraskowski, a journalist suspected of possessing firearms and ammunition without a permit, as well as threatening the county police commander in Piaseczno in order to force him to take action in a specific case. During questioning, the journalist did not admit to the alleged acts.
Kraskowski is a well-known figure in Polish journalism. He is a former investigative journalist for “Rzeczpospolita”, “Wprost”, “Super Express” and “Dziennik”. He currently publishes his materials on his own website and on a YouTube channel. He is known for publications concerning Civic Coalition MP Roman Giertych and issues related to the company Polnord.
“Yes, it is visible, this is not an isolated case. The Kraskowski case, the case of editor Sakiewicz – this is some kind of scandal altogether. This prosecutor Woźniak, the one who held female officials in investigative detention in combined handcuffs, and earlier Legia Warsaw fans, because it is the same prosecutor – he wants to break journalistic privilege by means of a decision, meaning he does not even plan or foresee the involvement of a court in this case”, Woś assessed.
Regarding the Kraskowski case, Woś left no doubt: “there is simply the spirit – or the stench – of Giertych hovering here, and this must be said clearly, because editor Kraskowski is the man who revealed and described to the public the scale of the plundering of Polnord and the mechanisms related to ‘Foka’, with Giertych’s assistant, with his driver who allegedly paid him millions of złoty, with some strange Russian connections as well. And by some coincidence, I believe that the spirit of Giertych hangs over this case, and I have no doubts about that. However, if we are dealing with this situation and now it turns out that first there was some vague statement saying he had illegal weapons and threatened a police officer, then it turns out that this illegal weapon was some kind of gas weapon, where there are different legal opinions on whether it is legal or illegal. A gas weapon – it is basically a standard gas sprayer, and sometimes the police interpret the law as legal, sometimes as illegal. On the other hand, we have an email where the person who was allegedly threatened – because this case started with Kraskowski being threatened with a knife, with death, and told: stop the Giertych topic or we will slit your throat. He then reported it to the police in Piaseczno, and they did nothing. When they did nothing, Kraskowski started writing to them, calling for action. In what exact form, I do not know. Now, in a subsequent statement, some alleged family matters were added, but family matters are not the basis for three months of detention. The basis for three months of detention is supposedly some threat, a gas weapon and threats. If threats are to be unlawful, they must actually produce an effect. This is not just some email where it is unclear whether he even sent it. So absolutely, I have no doubt that this is a strong signal to the entire journalistic community: do not mess with Tusk, because Giertych is above Tusk. Giertych is the one building this system, he is the legal counsel not only of Tusk but also the defender of Tusk’s family. He knows a great deal about them. His strange Russian connections also prove a lot. In this respect, I truly believe that the entire journalistic community should stand in solidarity on this matter. Political circles as well”.