On Tuesday, the Press Freedom Monitoring Center of the Association of Polish Journalists (SDP) submitted a formal notice to the prosecutor’s office regarding a potential criminal offence involving the assault of journalist Janusz Życzkowski.
Last Thursday, Rafał Trzaskowski visited the town of Wieluń, where—following a meeting with supporters—he was approached by Janusz Życzkowski, a reporter from TV Republika, who attempted to pose an inconvenient question. Życzkowski did not receive a response; instead, the politician’s security personnel attacked him.
“I was struck in the torso and pushed. My equipment fell to the ground and was destroyed. I also lost my glasses,” Życzkowski reported. The campaign team and Trzaskowski himself, rather than intervening, accused Życzkowski of spitting and aggression.
The next day, Życzkowski began to feel unwell and was admitted to the hospital. A subsequent forensic examination confirmed a health impairment lasting more than seven days, which under Polish law constitutes a criminal offence requiring prosecution ex officio.
“Cervical spine torsion accompanied by a post-traumatic pain syndrome affecting the cervical and thoracic regions. The above injuries resulted from the described events (…). They are the consequence of impact with a blunt and blunt-edged instrument. These injuries (…) caused a disruption to the state of health,”
the medical document states.
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Press Freedom Monitoring Center Reports the Incident
In response, the Press Freedom Monitoring Center of SDP intervened in the matter of the TV Republika journalist.
On Tuesday, the centre’s director, Dr Jolanta Hajdasz, submitted a notice to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Wieluń, reporting the possibility of a criminal offence involving the beating of a journalist and infliction of bodily harm “under circumstances indicating an intent to suppress press criticism.”
In her letter to the prosecutor, Dr Hajdasz emphasized that the act was “intended to prevent the victim from asking questions of the presidential candidate and to intimidate him in order to discourage him from acting in his capacity as a journalist.”
“There is a concurrence of criminal offences. Article 157 §1 of the Penal Code criminalizes acts of violence resulting in health impairment lasting more than 7 days. In this case, the medical documentation (forensic doctor’s opinion) leaves no doubt regarding the duration of the injuries. Furthermore, (…) the circumstances of the incident indicate that the assault on the journalist also constituted an obstruction and suppression of press criticism, which is a criminal act under Article 44(1) of the Press Law. In addition to this, the journalist’s property was destroyed (Article 288 §1 of the Penal Code). These acts were committed with direct intent,”
the CMWP statement reads.
What Does the Constitution Guarantee?
Dr. Hajdasz emphasized that the Constitution of the Republic of Poland guarantees freedom of expression as well as the right to acquire and disseminate information.
“Any interference that limits journalists’ ability to perform their informational role constitutes a violation of citizens’ constitutional rights. The actions of the perpetrators directly target not only the individual journalist but also the constitutional foundations of a free society, weakening the oversight mechanism exercised by the media,”
Dr Hajdasz writes in the notice.
She further noted that such acts of aggression are intended to produce a “chilling effect” on journalists, discouraging them from engaging in critical inquiry.
“As a result, this situation erodes social oversight, which is one of the foundational principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law,”
she concluded.