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The District Court in Białystok found the journalist Endy Gęsina-Torres guilty of the charges but refrained from imposing a sentence. Mr Gęsina-Torres carried out a journalistic sting in the detention centre for foreigners in Białystok. The court ordered the defendant to pay PLN 2,000 for the Fund for Victim and Post-Penitentiary Support.

As in each year, the competition for the WATCH DOCS Award is the most exciting section of the festival. In 2013, more than ten documentaries from around the world compete for the title of the best film of the 13th Festival’s edition. As always, the international jury will select the film that will leave Warsaw with the prize.

“It should never happen in a democratic state ruled by law that a murder trial is pending for 18 years. The court, however, is not going to look for those responsible within the ranks of the Prosecution Service. The entire justice system – law enforcement bodies, first and second instance courts – should beat their breasts”, these were the summing-up words of the District Court Judge Igor Tuleya, who brought to an end the sixth trial in the case of Waldemar T. After 18 years, the defendant was acquitted once again.

The Circuit Court in Warsaw found that a decision to extradite an opposition activist to Belarus was inadmissible under the law. The proceedings in the case had been pending for a few months.In the first instance, the Circuit Court held that the activist can be legally handed to the Belarusian authorities.

Members of the Human Rights House Network (HRHN) express their concern to learn that the European Union is aiming at further reducing the ordinary budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The NGOs call upon the European Union to support the work of the Office, by increasing its ordinary budget as a way to strengthen the impact of its work and cooperation by all States.

Members of the Human Rights House Network (HRHN) express their concern to learn that the European Union is aiming at further reducing the ordinary budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The NGOs call upon the European Union to support the work of the Office, by increasing its ordinary budget as a way to strengthen the impact of its work and cooperation by all States.

The HFHR prepared an observation report on the Independence March in Warsaw that took place on 11 November 2013. “The report is based only on the information prepared by ten independent observers from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights who participated in the monitoring – on their reports and on their recorded video and photographic materials”, says Danuta Przywara, President of the HFHR. “Hence it should not be treated as comprehensive observation but as an objective summary of what the observers managed to see”, adds Ms Przywara.

On issuing decisions denying refugee status to foreigners, the Office for Foreigners (OF) automatically banned them from re-entering Poland, despite the fact that there was no legal ground for imposing such a ban. The [Polish] Refugee Council revoked such decisions. Only in September 2013 did the Office inform about its change of practice in this regard. Currently, the HFHR calls on the OF to revoke their negative decisions issued before a change of policy.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard the case of Łukasz Kasprowicz, a blogger charged with insulting on his blog the mayor of Mosina, Zofia Springer. The case has been pending for four years now. In January this year, the Circuit Court acquitted the blogger. However, the mayor of Mosina filed a cassation complaint with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed the judgment, remanding the case for retrial.