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On Monday, 5 September, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Polish Chamber of Press Publishers and Association of Local Newspapers launched the campaign ‘Let’s delete Article 212 of the Criminal Code’.Currently, article 212 provides for a penalty of fine or limitation of liberty (community work) for the offence of defamation.

In mid-August a train derailed near Piotrków Trybunalski, central Poland. One person died and more than eighty others were injured in the crash. By order of the District Court in Piotrków Trybunalski, the train driver who had been in charge of the locomotive was remanded in custody pending trial.The counsel for the defendant appealed against the court’s decision. The HFHR filed an amicus curiae brief with the court which heard the appeal.

On 29 August 2011 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights sent a letter to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers raising the issue of the Polish authorities’ failure to properly implement the ECHR judgement in the case of Wasilewska and Kałucka v. Poland. The case of Wasilewska and Kałucka v. Poland concerns the violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights asked the Prosecutor General to reveal whether the Polish prosecution service provided the Belarusian authorities with information on other Belarusian oppositionists. Early August this year it came to light that Polish Prosecution Service provided the Belarusian law enforcement with information regarding Ales Belyatsky.

The Central Prison Service Authority reports that the average population of penal institutions and remand centres in Poland stands at 97.8 per cent of the institutions’ capacity. Yet, the detailed statistical data from mid-July 2011 indicate that in many places the occupancy level exceeds 100 per cent, reaching the alarming 129 per cent in some establishments.

It has come to the attention of the HFHR that in June 2011 the Polish Prosecutor General’s Office has provided Belarusian authorities with details of the Polish bank accounts held in the name of Ales Belyatsky, head of the Human Rights Centre Vesna, a Belarusian human rights advocacy. We have received these disturbing news from Mr Belyatsky’s associates.

Another hearing in the case for personal interests infringement brought against A.J. was held before the Circuit Court in Tarnów. The claimant, mayor of the town of Ryglice, asserts that he lost the local elections because of an insulting comment of an anonymous user that had been posted under an article at the respondent’s blog. He makes his claim even though A.J. almost instantly blocked the comment.

HFHR regrets to inform that on 4 August 2011 our friend Ales Bialiatski, head of the Human Rights Centre Vesna and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights was arrested in Minsk, Belarus. Ales has been long engaged in promoting democracy and human rights in Belarus. In June, he was presented with the Freedom Award in Wrocław.

On Thursday, 4 August 2011, the Circuit Court in Lublin dismissed the appeal brought by Zbigniew Ż., found guilty of defaming his neighbour D.R. by calling him ‘a Police snitch’. The incident took place at courtroom during the trial of D.R., who was charged with assault causing bodily harm. Zbigniew Ż. was a witness in the case. The HFHR observed the trial.