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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 Because of outdated regulation some category of people is excluded from the full access to civil service.

Professor Zbigniew Hołda was the Vice-President of the Board of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and a member of the Helsinki Committee in Poland. He was a distinguished scholar, attorney and defender of human rights. He specialized in criminal law and criminal enforcement law and worked as a professor of law at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Before 1989 he was active member of the „Solidarity” movement in Lublin. During the state of Martial Lawe he was in internment.

Marek Antoni Nowicki, former President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, has been awarded the Edward J. Wende Award, while Professor Zbigniew Hołda, the Foundation’s current Vice-President, right, has been awarded the ‘Nagroda Tolerancji’ Award for promoting Tolerance, and the ‘Złoty Paragraf’ Advocate of the Year Award.

On 24 March 2009 the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights released a report from monitoring of the commercial divisions of all Polish courts. Monitoring was implemented in cooperation with law firm DLA Piper.

When: Thursday, 5. March 2009 18.30 – 20.00 Where: Univeristy of Warsaw, Law and Administration Faculty, Room A3 (Warsaw, Lipowa Street) Host: Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights More info: www.hfhrpol.waw.pl/obserwatorium/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=332:freedom-of-speech-borders-do-celebrities-have-a-right-to-privacy&catid=47:aktualnosciprog&Itemid=66