Poland - Country monitoring - Commissioner for Human Rights

Statement

New legislation perpetuates restrictions and obstacles to protection of human rights on Poland’s eastern border

01/12/2021 Strasbourg

Amendments to Poland’s Border Protection Act, adopted yesterday, effectively perpetuate many of the restrictive measures put in place by the country’s state of emergency, with negative effects on the freedom of movement, assembly, and expression on Poland’s eastern border. During my recent...

Country visit

Commissioner calls for immediate access of international and national human rights actors and media to Poland’s border with Belarus to end human suffering and violations of human rights

19/11/2021 Strasbourg

“The humanitarian and human rights situation along Poland’s border with Belarus is alarming. Urgent action is needed to protect the lives of people stranded in the border regions”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, following her 4-day mission to...

Third Party Intervention

Commissioner intervenes before the European Court of Human Rights in cases concerning abortion rights in Poland

10/11/2021 Strasbourg

Today the Commissioner published her written observations to the European Court of Human Rights as a third party in the cases of K.B. v. Poland and 3 other applications, K.C. v. Poland and 3 other applications and A.L. - B. v. Poland and 3 other applications concerning abortion rights in Poland....

Statement

Poland should take immediate action to protect the human rights of people stranded at its border with Belarus

25/08/2021 Strasbourg

The dire humanitarian situation of a group of people stuck for many days at the Polish-Belarussian border is alarming. I understand that this situation is the result of attempts by Belarus to encourage people to cross borders, leaving them in a vulnerable position and creating challenges for the...

Letter

Poland: draft laws on the media sector should respect European human rights standards on freedom of expression, media pluralism and data protection

16/03/2021 Strasbourg

In a letter to the Prime Minister of Poland, made public today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović urges the government to ensure that two draft laws concerning an ‘advertising revenue tax on media outlets’ and ‘protection of freedom of speech of social media...

Memorandum

Poland should stop the stigmatisation of LGBTI people

03/12/2020 Strasbourg

“Public officials and opinion makers should stop promoting an atmosphere of hate and intolerance vis-à-vis LGBTI people and instead, improve respect for their human rights. Stigmatisation and hate speech carry a real risk of legitimising violence. LGBTI are people, not an ideology”, said the...

Third party intervention

Commissioner publishes observations on the absence of legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Poland

13/11/2020 Strasbourg

Today the Commissioner published her written observations to the European Court of Human Rights concerning the cases of Katarzyna Formela and Sylwia Formela v. Poland and 3 other applications, Cecylia Przybyszewska v. Poland and 9 other applications, and Antoni Meszkes v. Poland, all of which...

Letter

Polish authorities should ensure the continuity, independence and effectiveness of the Ombudsman institution

22/10/2020 Strasbourg

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, made public today, the Commissioner raises her concerns about risks to the continuity and the effective functioning of the Polish Ombudsman institution. A constitutional challenge to the legal provision allowing the current...

Statement

The Commissioner urges President of Poland to veto the amendments to the Medical Professions Act

22/07/2020 Strasbourg

“I regret that the amendments to Poland’s Medical Professions Act adopted on 16 July by the lower house of the Polish parliament, the Sejm, fail to explicitly oblige healthcare providers to refer patients to an alternative and willing provider in the event of the refusal of a medical service on...

Statement

Commissioner urges Poland’s Parliament to reject bills that restrict women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and children’s right to sexuality education

14/04/2020 Strasbourg

“It is with dismay that I have learned that Poland’s Parliament’s lower house plans to resume this week the examination of two citizens’ bills that aim to restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortion care and children’s right to sexuality education. I urge the Parliament to reject both...