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There is an on-going debate in the Polish press presently concerning the importance of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for the effective functioning of Polish democracy. Agnieszka Graff, a well-known Polish feminist, in a publication “Bureaucrats without hearts, without souls” (“Gazeta Wyborcza” 6 January 2010) formulated a number of critical remarks addressed at Non-Governmental Organizations in the Republic of Poland.

On 5 January 2010 European Court of Human Rights passed a judgement in two analogous cases Frasik v. Republic of Poland (application no. 22933/02) and Jaremowicz v. Republic of Poland (no. 24023/03). The Court found that refusal to allowa prison inmate to marry breaches the Convention. Helisnki Foundation for Human Rights submitted in those cases amicus curiae brief.

Warsaw’s 9th annual International Film Festival WATCH DOCS took place from 4 to 13 December 2009. The festival competition offered the Warsaw premieres of the world’s top documentary films broadly related to issues of human rights. This year’s competition included 19 films vying for the WATCH DOCS festival Award.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination presented on 28 August 2009 Consideration of 17, 18 and 19 th Reports submitted by Republic of Poland. The Reports were submitted on 19 February 2008 under article 9 of International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

On 11 December 2009 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights celebrated its 20 anniversary. The main ceremony took place on 11 December 2009 in Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle. Our special guest was Ludmila Aleksiejeva, the head of Moscow Helsinki Group (honored this year Sacharov Prize).

The interview with Jerzy Stępień, a former Judge and President of the Constitutional Tribunal (“Gazeta Świąteczna”, 7-8 November) inclined me to make a few remarks. It is not my aim to refer to the arguments concerning the presence of the cross in school put forward by Jerzy Stępień. I do understand that one can have different views on this matter, but I share the opinion of the European Court of Human Rights.

Not for the first time, not all of a sudden or without warning are we confronted with the problem of an empty wall again. Stripping the wall of symbols can be the consequence of the idea that we are all different and all equal at the same time. And so we stand in front of one, common wall.

The Supreme Administrative Court, in a verdict from 28 October 2009, stated that the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights has the right to expect the President of the Institute of National Remembrance to explain on what legal basis the employees of the institute use the institute’s documents.

Publishing press by the organs of state administration and self-government should be forbidden – declared the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and IWP press publishers organisation in a joint statement.