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The subject of reinstating the death penalty has been discussed recently in the Republic of Poland. Paying no heed to the position of the European Commission and the Council of Europe or to Poland’s international obligations in this matter, governing coalition parties are calling for its reinstatement. (04-AUG-06)

On 3 July, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights approached Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz with an inquiry regarding the status and course of work on the establishment of the office for counteracting discrimination due to race and ethnic origin. Although Republic of Poland, as a member of the European Union, is obligated to form an independent office dealing with such issues, up till now this has not been done. (07-JULY-06)

The new report is available on the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights website (www.hfhrpol.waw.pl) concerning the state of human rights observance in the Republic of Poland in 2005. The report was prepared for the European Commission by the President of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Marek Antoni Nowicki – the European Union’s expert on Fundamental Rights Issues. (07-JULY-06)

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) requests  Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz – Prime Minister of Republic of Poland to submit to the Sejm an appropriate bill for ratification of the Protocol No.14 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Republic of Poland remains one of only five states that have yet to submit ratification instruments (including the Russian Federation and Turkey). (23-JUNE-06)

The Equality Parade, i.e. the sexual minorities march organized by the Equality Foundation, passed through the streets of Warsaw on Saturday, June 10. The Parade was held within the confines of the Equality Days, which take place this year on June 8-15 under the banner: Culture of Diversity. For the first time in several years the demonstration was legal (14-JUNE-06).
 

On 8 June, the Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, dismissed the head of the National In-Service Teacher Training Center (CODN), Mr. Miroslaw Sielatycki. The cause for the dismissal was the publication of the book “Compass – A manual on human rights education with young people”, which, according to the Minister, encourages people to meet with homosexual organizations and promotes homosexuality. (14-JUNE-06)

Helsinki Committee in Poland is concerned by the current suggestions that the Lustration Court should be abolished and to transfer the burden of proof onto individuals who challenge allegations of their having collaborated with the security agencies of the PRL in court. (02-JUNE-06)

A wave of protests against the new Minister of Education is sweeping across Republic of Poland. Pupils, students, teachers, individuals from the world of science and culture, as well as parents have been manifesting their disagreement with the appointment of Roman Giertych, the leader of the radical right-wing party – League of Polish Families (LPR), for this position. (19-MAY-06)
 

Marek Antoni Nowicki, a member of the Helsinki Committee in Poland (HC), explains that in its new statement the Committee defends freedom of parliamentary debate not Andrew Lepper himself. Under democracy it is important that parliamentarians, especially those of the opposition, should not have to censor their statements during parliamentiary debates for fear of criminal responsibility. (12-MAY-06)