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On 28 March 2013, the Supreme Court adopted a seven-judge resolution holding that an assessment of the excessive length of judicial proceedings covers the entirety of the litigation. It means that courts adjudicating cases initiated by a complaint for an excessive length of proceedings must review the entire procedural course of the case, covering the period starting with the case filing until its final resolution, regardless of the case procedural stage at which the excessive length complaint has been actually filed.

An Azerbaijani court ordered detention of another human rights activists in this country. They have been charged with illegal possession of arms. According to local human rights advocates and NGOs, the arrests are related to the protests organised in March.

In late March, the Lublin City Council resolved, “in consideration of the Christian traditions” of the city, to cease the municipal financing of “the works and events contrary to public morale or promoting scandalous content”. The HFHR brought the matter to the attention of the Mayor of Lublin.

Precisely seven years after two Pruszków psychiatrist had been detained pending trial, the Warsaw Circuit Court discontinued the proceedings against Urszula L. citing the negligible social harm presented by the alleged offences. The Court also affirmed the lower instance’s acquittal of other defendant, Andrzej S. The judgement is final.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has received the application brought in the case of Abu Zubaydah vs. Poland. This is yet another case related to human right infringements that allegedly happened in the secret CIA prison in Poland.

The HFHR urged Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski to spare no effort, both in the bilateral relations with Russia and at the level of international organisations, to counteract threats to the functioning of the civil society in that country. The HFHR responded to thorough inspections of Russian non-governmental organisations carried out by the country’s authorities in the last several weeks.

The right to be a human rights defender has been reinforced by the resolution adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council. The resolution focuses on legislation affecting, restricting and criminalising the work and activities of human rights defenders.

The HFHR has presented the second opinion on the draft legislative guidelines for the law on obtaining and using telecommunication data drafted by the Ministry of Interior. The reviewed legislative draft aims at restricting the interference of public bodies with privacy of individual persons and strengthening the control mechanisms over obtaining and using telecommunications data.

Chakib Marakchi is a Moroccan citizen. In 2009, he applied to the Head of the Office for Foreigners for the removal of his personal data from both the Polish list of unwelcome foreigners and the Schengen Information System. The Office for Foreigners twice declined Mr Marakchi’s request.