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Growing international concern for the human rights situation in Poland has been expressed at a variety of international fora. Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) and its partners continue to document some of Poland’s key issues and are working to ensure that the underlying problems are correctly recognised and challenged at each opportunity.

“We, as human rights defenders, do not believe that people stand beside sufferance without compassion. People said “never again,” and their will has been a lasting peace.”

A single diversion from democratic principles does not necessarily make a Government authoritarian, but what about a year of continually undermining democratic principles? To understand events in Poland, one must not just judge individual incidents, as is often the case in human rights work, but instead look at the way the different legislative changes come together and the picture this combination creates.

Polish authorities have proposed restrictive amendments to the law on assemblies. HRHF sees this law as retaliation against those protesting in the past year against government policies. It creates a hurdle for organisers critical of the government and the Church, while ensuring that their own supporters are able to protest.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has expressed concern about Poland’s current situation leading to human rights problems related to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, rights of minorities, gender and sexual reproductive rights, as well as media rights.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee reviewed the human rights situation of Polandon 17–18 October. HRHF’s Polish partners, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) delivered a statement on Poland during the opening of the session.

On Monday 3 October, in many Polish cities, women and men protested against a draft law that would introduce a complete ban on abortion. Protesters, dressed in black, have united under the slogan “Black protest” and the hashtag #czarnyprotest (meaning black protest). Our colleagues at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights(HFHR), based in Warsaw, reported on the situation.

On Wednesday 14, a resolution on Poland was adopted with 510 to 160 votes with 29 abstentions, but a solution to developments in Poland referred to as the constitutional crisis remains unclear as the deadline given to the authorities by the Commission approaches.

On the 12 of July at the UN, high-level representatives from States, civil society and the private sector discussed the human rights situation in the world. There was also a first televised live debate with the candidates for Secretary General at the United Nations, which was open for questions from the public.