The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights pointed to the necessity of changing the prosecutor’s practise concerning protection of personal sources of journalistic information. In the opinion of the Foundation, this practice should be adapted to the standards defined in the ECHR’s jurisprudence.
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights believes that current practice raises serious objections. Polish provisions guarantee the protection of personal sources of journalistic information. The journalist professional secret includes, inter alia, data which allow the identification of persons who provide information.
Furthermore, the ECHR repeatedly emphasises the necessity to protect these sources. For instance, in the case of Sanoma Uitgevers B.V. v. Holand the ECHR stated that the situation when the state authorities demand from the publisher to provide photos from illegal car-race violates the Convention.
