The case concerning the removal of a cross from the wall of the representative hall of the Voivodeship Office in Lublin is still ongoing before the court in Lublin. The order was issued by Voivode Krzysztof Komorski, who also instructed that European Union flags be brought into the hall.
On Wednesday, the Regional Court in Lublin examined an appeal filed by the private prosecutors against the ruling delivered in November 2025 by the District Court Lublin-Zachód.
The case concerns a decision made in December 2023 by the Lublin Voivode, Krzysztof Komorski, who shortly after taking office ordered the removal of the cross displayed in the representative Column Hall of the office and the introduction of EU flags. He stressed that the move was intended to ensure worldview neutrality, noting that people of various faiths and cultures meet in the Column Hall.
Twisted Explanations
The voivode’s decision was widely commented on, including on social media, and was criticized by Members of Parliament from Law and Justice (PiS). Komorski apologized to anyone who felt offended by the decision. He explained that the cross had not been removed permanently but relocated to another room, and emphasized that he himself is a believer.
Allegations of Abuse of Power and Offending Religious Feelings
Charges of exceeding his authority and offending religious feelings were brought against the voivode by Tytus Czartoryski – a regional councilor of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship from Law and Justice (PiS) – and Elżbieta Puacz, former director of the Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Center in Lublin. They filed a private bill of indictment with the court. Earlier, the prosecutor’s office had twice refused to initiate an investigation into the matter.
First Ruling Issued
In November 2025, the District Court Lublin-Zachód acquitted Komorski, ruling that the private prosecutors had failed to present legal arguments demonstrating that the voivode’s actions constituted a criminal offense.
The court found that there are no generally binding legal provisions regulating the placement of religious symbols on the walls of state offices in Poland. Nor are there any such regulations in the internal rules of the Voivodeship Office. Therefore, there were no grounds to attribute the crime of exceeding authority to Komorski.
The attorney for the private prosecutors, Olgierd Pankiewicz, in seeking to have the verdict overturned and the case returned for reconsideration, argued that the court of first instance had misjudged the voivode’s actions and unjustly dismissed evidentiary motions, including the request to question the official to whom Komorski had given the order to remove the cross. In his view, these deficiencies in the evidentiary proceedings prevented the court from properly assessing the voivode’s conduct.
He also stressed that what should be assessed is Komorski’s arbitrary and unilateral decision to remove the cross – not the later claim that it had merely been relocated. Pankiewicz argued that the voivode ordered the cross removed and only two days later, when the case became public, stated that the cross had been moved to another room and apologized to those who felt offended. According to the attorney, the voivode’s apology itself indicates that he was aware he had violated applicable norms.
Another Verdict on March 5
During Wednesday’s hearing, the private prosecutors argued that the voivode’s actions offend and hurt the feelings of many people. “In millions of Polish homes, the cross hangs in a place of honor, and crosses stand in cemeteries. Removing the cross from public space deeply affects us,” Czartoryski said.
Puacz emphasized that the cross is not solely a religious symbol but is intertwined with the history of the Polish nation. “Someone hung that cross in the office as a symbol of freedom after the systemic changes took place in Poland,” she added.
Komorski was not present at the appeal hearing. During the proceedings before the court of first instance, he did not plead guilty.
The court’s verdict in this case will be announced on March 5.