Trial of Father Olszewski and Civil Servants to Begin on Wednesday. Total Chaos in Court
On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the trial of Father Michał Olszewski, civil servants Karolina and Urszula, and three other defendants will begin at the Regional Court in Warsaw (room 203).
“We still do not know the identities of the lay judges, and therefore the full composition of the court. Judge Koska-Janusz has not even convened a so-called organizational hearing,” says attorney Krzysztof Wąsowski. As Codzienna has established, the lay judges drawn a year ago had conflicts with only a few hearing dates in this case. “Why was a substitute lay judge not drawn in February last year? Why was there such a drastic change of lay judges—effectively a resignation from those drawn and their replacement with judges manually appointed by the judge?” asks attorney Adam Gomoła.
It is Monday, the first hearing is on Wednesday, and we still do not know the names of the lay judges assigned to this trial. What is surprising is that the spokesperson of the regional court claims that the fact that the case will be adjudicated by lay judges appointed at the last minute, without having reviewed the case files, is not a problem for the court. We, as defense counsel for the defendants, believe this is a serious problem that in practice discredits the fairness of the trial,” said yesterday to Codzienna attorney Krzysztof Wąsowski, defense counsel for Father Olszewski and Ms. Urszula. He added that if a judge as experienced as Igor Tuleya publicly states that it would take him about half a year to familiarize himself with files totaling 24,000 pages, one can only imagine the situation of lay judges, who are not professional judges.
Without Preliminary Organization
He emphasizes that lay judges are not the only unresolved issue in this trial.
“The defendants in this case were released from detention under a ban on contacting one another. Given such a ban, how does Judge Koska-Janusz, who presides over the panel, intend to seat these individuals together on the defendants’ bench? How are they supposed to sit shoulder to shoulder, next to each other? Later, considering the history of these proceedings, will there not be allegations—for example by the prosecution—of violating the contact ban? There are more such issues, but Judge Koska-Janusz set the date of the first hearing without consulting the lay judges in a way that eliminated the lay judges drawn a year ago, while at the same time failing to schedule any organizational hearing that could have brought order to the chaos that may arise from seating on one bench persons subject to a contact ban. The defense had no influence on holding such an organizational hearing, and now it will have to react—for example before the trial begins—by requesting the lifting of such bans,” Wąsowski explains.
In the Shadow of Complaints and Protests
The trial will begin in the shadow of complaints accepted by the European Court of Human Rights. “Just a few days before the trial, the ECHR accepted for examination a complaint regarding the excessive length of pre-trial detention of Father Olszewski,” attorney Michał Skwarzyński, the priest’s defense counsel, informs Codzienna. He recalls that a complaint concerning the manner in which Judge Koska-Janusz was selected to adjudicate this case is also pending before the ECHR. A complaint regarding torture against the priest during his arrest and detention is likewise awaiting examination. In addition, a similar complaint is pending before the United Nations.
Support for the defendants in this trial is available online. Support can be expressed by signing a petition demanding a fair and impartial trial for Father Olszewski and the civil servants, available at: https://www.citizengo.org/pl. As of yesterday, more than 31,500 people had already signed it.
Republika Appeals: Let Us Support Them Together!
Telewizja Republika, which will report on the trial on an ongoing basis, encourages everyone to be present in the courtroom and outside the court during the proceedings. “The trial of falsely accused and persecuted Father Michał Olszewski and two civil servants—Urszula and Karolina—is beginning. You can support them! January 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at the Regional Court in Warsaw, Al. Solidarności 127 (room 203),” we read on Republika’s website.
The trial is to be public. According to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Article 356 §1), “in addition to persons participating in the proceedings, only adult, unarmed persons may be present at the hearing.” Even if the public nature of the hearing is excluded, a small audience may remain in the courtroom. Participation in a public hearing does not require prior permission; it is sufficient to come and bring an identity document. If the hearing is closed, the presiding judge may allow specific individuals to be present.On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the trial of Father Michał Olszewski, civil servants Karolina and Urszula, and three other defendants will begin at the Regional Court in Warsaw (room 203).
“We still do not know the identities of the lay judges, and therefore the full composition of the court. Judge Koska-Janusz has not even convened a so-called organizational hearing,” says attorney Krzysztof Wąsowski. As Codzienna has established, the lay judges drawn a year ago had conflicts with only a few hearing dates in this case. “Why was a substitute lay judge not drawn in February last year? Why was there such a drastic change of lay judges—effectively a resignation from those drawn and their replacement with judges manually appointed by the judge?” asks attorney Adam Gomoła.
It is Monday, the first hearing is on Wednesday, and we still do not know the names of the lay judges assigned to this trial. What is surprising is that the spokesperson of the regional court claims that the fact that the case will be adjudicated by lay judges appointed at the last minute, without having reviewed the case files, is not a problem for the court. We, as defense counsel for the defendants, believe this is a serious problem that in practice discredits the fairness of the trial,” said yesterday to Codzienna attorney Krzysztof Wąsowski, defense counsel for Father Olszewski and Ms. Urszula. He added that if a judge as experienced as Igor Tuleya publicly states that it would take him about half a year to familiarize himself with files totaling 24,000 pages, one can only imagine the situation of lay judges, who are not professional judges.
Without Preliminary Organization
He emphasizes that lay judges are not the only unresolved issue in this trial.
“The defendants in this case were released from detention under a ban on contacting one another. Given such a ban, how does Judge Koska-Janusz, who presides over the panel, intend to seat these individuals together on the defendants’ bench? How are they supposed to sit shoulder to shoulder, next to each other? Later, considering the history of these proceedings, will there not be allegations—for example by the prosecution—of violating the contact ban? There are more such issues, but Judge Koska-Janusz set the date of the first hearing without consulting the lay judges in a way that eliminated the lay judges drawn a year ago, while at the same time failing to schedule any organizational hearing that could have brought order to the chaos that may arise from seating on one bench persons subject to a contact ban. The defense had no influence on holding such an organizational hearing, and now it will have to react—for example before the trial begins—by requesting the lifting of such bans,” Wąsowski explains.
In the Shadow of Complaints and Protests
The trial will begin in the shadow of complaints accepted by the European Court of Human Rights. “Just a few days before the trial, the ECHR accepted for examination a complaint regarding the excessive length of pre-trial detention of Father Olszewski,” attorney Michał Skwarzyński, the priest’s defense counsel, informs Codzienna. He recalls that a complaint concerning the manner in which Judge Koska-Janusz was selected to adjudicate this case is also pending before the ECHR. A complaint regarding torture against the priest during his arrest and detention is likewise awaiting examination. In addition, a similar complaint is pending before the United Nations.
Support for the defendants in this trial is available online. Support can be expressed by signing a petition demanding a fair and impartial trial for Father Olszewski and the civil servants, available at: https://www.citizengo.org/pl. As of yesterday, more than 31,500 people had already signed it.
Republika Appeals: Let Us Support Them Together!
Telewizja Republika, which will report on the trial on an ongoing basis, encourages everyone to be present in the courtroom and outside the court during the proceedings. “The trial of falsely accused and persecuted Father Michał Olszewski and two civil servants—Urszula and Karolina—is beginning. You can support them! January 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at the Regional Court in Warsaw, Al. Solidarności 127 (room 203),” we read on Republika’s website.
The trial is to be public. According to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Article 356 §1), “in addition to persons participating in the proceedings, only adult, unarmed persons may be present at the hearing.” Even if the public nature of the hearing is excluded, a small audience may remain in the courtroom. Participation in a public hearing does not require prior permission; it is sufficient to come and bring an identity document. If the hearing is closed, the presiding judge may allow specific individuals to be present.