An open letter from representatives of “Gazeta Polska” Clubs from the United States has been sent to the US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski regarding TVN’s attempt to impose censorship through lawsuits against ‘Strefa Wolnego Słowa’ (Eng: Free Speech Zone) media and others.
The TVN station sued the company Słowo Niezależne, the publisher of the Niezalezna.pl portal, and its editor-in-chief Grzegorz Wierzcholowski for quoting the words of the editor-in-chief of the “Gazeta Polska Codziennie” (Eng: Gazeta Polska Daily) Tomasz Sakiewicz on TVP Info. Later, very similar lawsuits were received by the Forum company, the publisher of “Gazeta Polska Codzienna,” as well as by TVP Info journalists.
A campaign in defence of freedom of speech has been launched. Stickers, billboards, and spots have appeared in the public space in recent days. Internet users are also sending protests on that issue to many institutions.
In recent days, the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media met on the actions of some media entities (including the TVN station) to restrict freedom of speech and intimidate journalists.
It’s time for the next step. An open letter to the U.S. ambassador to Poland (TVN has American owners) was sent by representatives of “Gazeta Polska” Clubs, Polonia, and patriotic circles from the United States.
Below we present the full content of the letter ⤵️
Dear Ambassador, We turn to you as Polish and American citizens living in the United States. We represent a number of Polish-American patriotic and independence organizations operating in the United States, including veteran organizations, which have always supported the Polish-American alliance at all levels. We are asking you to intervene in a matter that is very important, even crucial to our democracies and our common relations - the BREAKING of FREEDOM OF SPEECH and the APPLICATION OF CENSORSHIP, EVEN PREVENTIVE. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution, which talks about freedom of speech, among other things, is a very important, if not the most important, part of the Constitution. The TVN station, which is part of the U.S. Discovery media group, is attempting through lawsuits to impose censorship on statements made by Editor-in-Chief Tomasz Sakiewicz, speaking for Poland's leading news station, TVP, and other journalists from the group, Gazeta Polska. TVN manipulates facts and hides the truth about the Smolensk Disaster. This topic has become even more important in the situation of Russia's attack on Ukraine. The station's owners, through lawsuits, want to ban journalists who cover the aforementioned topics, which are very important to Poles living in Poland, but also in the United States. Unfortunately, these actions indirectly protect the criminal Putin. At this point, I would still like to remind you that the ITI company, of which TVN was a part, was founded by former secret collaborators of the communist services, who worked directly with communist Russia. They built their holding in the early 1990s, taking advantage of the arrangements that former collaborators of the SB and communist services had made in the media sphere in reborn Poland after more than 40 years of the prevailing totalitarian system - communism. Unfortunately, the TVN station, despite the official change of ownership in recent years, while trying to pose as a defender of European and Western values, is still managed by people with a Soviet mentality. [Signed:] - Tadeusz Antoniak - Chairman of the Smolensk-Katyń Committee; Deputy Coordinator of "GP" Clubs USA - Jacek Szklarski - Reduta Dobrego Imienia - USA; Smolensk-Katyń Committee; "GP" Club - Philadelphia - Helena Knapczyk - President of the Ladies Auxiliary Circle of the Polish Army Veterans Association (PAVA); Siberian The undersigned "Solidarity" activists, imprisoned and repressed during the communist period, are now active Polish activists, contributing to Poland's entry into NATO and the stationing of American troops in Poland: - Wiesław Wierzbowski - KPA - Boston, chairman of the "GP" Club - Boston - Tadeusz Walkowiak - KPA - Boston, "GP" Club - Boston - Marian Czarnecki - "GP" Club - New Britain - Michał Wroński - "GP" Club - Philadelphia; Smoleńsk-Katyń Committee - Adam Stępień - Smolensk-Katyń Committee of the Radio Maryja Family - Henryk Siemianowski - Smolensk-Katyń Committee; Syberian