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On 16 July 2009 the European Court of Human Rights passed a judgement in the case Wojtas-Kaleta v. Republic of Poland in which Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights as a third party submitted their comments. The Court found that there was a violation of Article 10 of the Convention.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights made a statement on 17 July 2009 referring to the comment of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, right, on death penalty in Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said that Poland’s new media law fails to secure the financial and editorial independence of public-service media and urged President Lech Kaczynski to send the law for review by the Constitutional Court.

Statement of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights on the President of Poland’s Neglect to Issue A Statement Validating the Adequacy of the European Court of Justice in the Domain of the So-Called III Pillar of the EU

On the June 30, 2009, the District Court in Zielona Gora (Signature: VII KA 437/09) upheld a verdict condemning former „Gazeta Wyborcza” journalist Robert Rewiński for libel. The journalist was lawfully convicted, after five years of criminal litgation, for an article describing the improper use of public funds at Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska (the Environmental Conservation Fund) in Zielona Góra. The court agreed that Rewiński was acting in the public’s interest; however, he was not cautious enough and used false information, infringing on the reputation of the private accuser. The above statements were used to justify his conviction.

Position of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights concerning Janusz Palikot’s private indictment and civil litigation against the journalists and Publisher of the newspaper „Dziennik”.

On August 20, 2008 a legally organized demonstration took place in front of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw. The aim of this demonstration was to publicly voice their disagreement with U.S. policy and contest the plan to built an anti-missile shield in the Republic of Poland. To be more persuasive the demonstrators (an action was performed by one of them – August G.) burned a U.S. flag. This action was filmed by media and thereafter disseminated through numerous broadcasts.

Nearly two years ago, the President of Republic of Poland refused to appoint nine persons for the position of judges in Polish courts. It happened despite of positive motions submitted by the National Judiciary Council and without any justification.

The fact of being a carrier of HBs antigen closes the doors to work in civil service in the Republic of Poland. The problem is that many people can have/carry such an antigen but it doesn’t have to lead to viral hepatilis B-type disease. It is being estimated that the problem can affect 2 per cent of population. Because of outdated regulation some category of people is excluded from the full access to civil service.