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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.

Civil society and national and international bodies have expressed concern at recent reforms in Poland and their impact on the rule of law. These reforms include changes to the functioning of the Constitutional Court, a law granting government control over TV and radio, a law granting additional powers of surveillance, and the merging of the functions of the Justice Minister and the formerly independent Prosecutor General.

318 Polish non-governmental organizations have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister Beata Szydło, urging her to take action in response to verbal abuse and violent physical attacks on NGOs and activists, which recently took place in Warsaw.

The Venice Commission and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe are in Poland this week to meet with officials and NGOs regarding the constitutional crisis.

The Human Rights House Network is deeply concerned by the constitutional crisis in Poland, which threatens its status as an example of democracy and rule of law in Europe.

The new governing party, the Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS), is rapidly making, and planning changes to the Constitutional Tribunal, the public media, the Act on Police and the justice system.

HRHN strongly supports Civic Solidarity Platform opposition to recent developments affecting human rights protection and the state of democracy in Poland.