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On 20 October 2009 the European Court of Human Rights returned a verdict in the case Nowiński v. Republic of Poland (25924/06). It claimed that the interpretation of the rules of civil procedure by the Polish courts violated the right to court access.

The Warsaw-Śródmieście District Court in a verdict of 16 October 2008 acquitted D. Szwed of charges of organising and presiding over an unlawful assembly (article 52 § 1 of the Petty Offences’ Code) which protested against building a motorway through Rospuda Valley.

On 28 October 2009 the Supreme Administrative Court of Republic of Poland („SAC”) issued a precedent judgment setting out the standard regarding the NGOs’ power to control activities of public bodies with the use of Freedom of Information Act. The SAC declared that the President of the Institute of National Remembrance („IPN”) may not ignore motions of NGOs requesting access to information or explanation of certain actions undertaken by the IPN employees.

Association of Young Journalists “Polis”, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the U.S. Embassy organised a meeting with Michael Haltzel – senior fellow at Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University. It took place on 9 October 2009 in Collegiun Civitas in Warsaw.

On 22 October 2009, the European Court of Human Rights passed judgements in the cases Orchowski v. Republic of Poland (application no. 17885/04) and Norbert Sikorski v. Republic of Poland (no. 17599/05). The Court judged that there was a violation of Article 3 of the Convention.

Helsinki Foundation for Human Right and Open Society Institute – Budapest invite for a lecture pro memoriam Marek Nowicki. This year guest – Asma Jahangir (United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief) will give a lecture „End of Human Rights? Religious Fundamentalism in Pakistan”

On 20 October European Court of Human Rights passed a judgement in the case Nowinski v. Republic of Poland (Application no. 25924/06). The applicant was represented before the Court by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. The Court found that there has been a violation of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and awarded the applicant EUR 1,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.

Marek Edelman was member of Helsinki Committee in Poland, a Jewish-Polish political and social activist and cardiologist. Before his death he was the last surviving leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

In Polish law there is in force a prohibition of discrimination in employment being a consequence of the constitutional rule of equality and a result of an implementation of EU directives. It is mostly applied to „classic” employment relationship (the employer and the employee). Article 16 of the Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation provides that this rule should be applied also to independent occupations and professions.