Ladies and gentlemen,
As editor-in-chief of the digitalnexus.pl portal, I express my deep outrage and firm opposition to the detention and the use of three months of temporary detention against an investigative journalist Leszek Kraskowski. I fully solidarity with the appeal of the Association of Polish Journalists (SDP) and take over its content as part of this position.
Position of the Association of Polish Journalists
The Association of Polish Journalists expresses a strong and categorical protest against the arrest and temporary arrest of editor Leszek Kraskowski, an investigative journalist. We consider the application of such a drastic means of coercion to a representative of the press as direct attack freedom of speech, media independence and citizens' right to information.
In his recent materials, editor Leszek Kraskowski addressed key topics concerning the Polnord affair and the participation of Roman Giertych and abuses in public institutions. We see law enforcement as an attempt to intimidate the journalistic community, silence the uncomfortable author and introduce preventive censorship.
On 7 June this year, an investigative journalist Leszek Kraskowski was detained and temporarily arrested, who consistently dealt with matters uncomfortable to the high representatives of the current power. Red. Leszek Kraskowski conducted journalistic investigations, in which he described, among other things, the case of moving money out of Polnord. Among those he considered responsible for the crime he publicly listed as Vice-President of Parliamentary Club of the Roman Giertych Civic Coalition. It is reasonable to suspect that the arrest of editor Kraskovsky has a political dimension and is revenge for uncompromising publication of material compromising high party representatives.
This is demonstrated by the following facts:
- In the second half of May, editor Kraskowski discovered information that the court had issued a provisional arrest warrant and obliged law enforcement authorities to bring him to prison.
- In early June, after the intervention of editor Kraskovsky, the court sent a letter in which he admitted to a writer's mistake.
- A few days after that, Leszek Kraskowski was arrested under a different pretext.
We believe that the use of temporary detention under the pretext of having a gas gun by the editor of Kraskovsky and threatening the district police chief is an unjustified repression, serving to intimidate the journalistic environment and attack on freedom of speech in Poland.
SDP demands:
- immediate repeal of the provisional detention decision against editor Leszek Kraskowski,
- ensure full respect for journalistic secrecy in the course of further activities;
- transfer proceedings to transparent and fully legal tracks, without political pressure.
The Association of Polish Journalists will notify international journalism organizations and non-governmental organizations dealing with human rights about this scandalous event.
Official SDP message: https://cmwp.sdp.pl/protest-sdp-against-unlaw-retention-and-retention-editor-leszka-kraskowski/
My personal position
I personally know Leszek Kraskowski. He's one of the most reliable and courageous investigative journalists I've ever met. His determination to pursue the matter of Polnordu, including the public pointing to the role of Roman Giertych, raises great respect, but also the hostility of influential environments. He was brave enough to say publicly what others were afraid to say.
A few months ago, Leszek informed me that he had written a book on Roman Giertych's connections. Unfortunately, no release had the courage to publish it. The ubiquitous political pressure of the community associated with Mr. Gierty effectively blocks the publication of uncomfortable facts.
What we are seeing today, that is, using a state apparatus to isolate a journalist under the pretext of relatively trivial charges (a bang gun not requiring permission and a fake mail with threats) is Belarus standardsnot a democratic rule of law. Earlier, suspicious circumstances (a wrong warrant for arrest in May, a correction of the court, and then arrest a few days later under a new pretext) only reinforce the belief that we are dealing with a classic political assault to silence an uncomfortable voice.
Appeal
I call on the authorities of the Republic, the prosecution and the court to immediate withdrawal of detention To Leszek Kraskowski. I demand that journalistic secrecy be respected and that any procedural action be carried out in a fully transparent manner without political influence.
I appeal to the entire media environment regardless of political sympathy for solidarity with Leszek Kraskowski. Today he, tomorrow it could be any of us.
Freedom of speech is not a privilege. It is the foundation of democracy. We either have her or she's gone. If we bow down, tomorrow we will be a totalitarian state – where for expressing our opinion we will be imprisoned.
Łukasz Jasztal The editor-in-chief of digitalnexus.pl
