“I have attended various hearings, but this cannot be called a hearing. I have truly never seen such scandalous behavior by a court. The judge was shouting simply because questions were being asked,” said Republika president Tomasz Sakiewicz on the station’s broadcast. He admitted that there were even threats to have him forcibly removed from the courtroom.
A hearing was held before the District Court in Warsaw in a case against Donald Tusk. The prime minister was accused of refusing to allow journalists from Telewizja Republika to attend government press conferences.
Speaking on Republika, station president Tomasz Sakiewicz reported that a scandal had occurred in the courtroom.
“I must admit that I have attended various hearings, but this cannot be called a hearing. It is not even about what the ruling will be. I have truly never seen such scandalous conduct by a court. The judge was shouting simply because questions were being asked,” Sakiewicz recounted.
Forcible Removal?
“The court completely deprived me of the right to ask questions. When I pointed out that the testifying minister was insulting all Telewizja Republika journalists, the court threatened to have me forcibly removed,” he added.
Describing the situation in the courthouse corridor, the head of Republika emphasized that “such a scandal has not been seen in the Polish judiciary for a long time.”
“That is why I filed the only possible motion — a request to have the judge recused,” he concluded.
According to Niezalezna.pl, the two-judge panel was presided over by Judge Edyta Bryzgalska.
Journalists from Republika appeared at the hearing as witnesses.