2017: Poland: Tomasz Piatek
Investigative journalist Tomasz Piatek could face criminal prosecution for his book “Macierewicz and his secrets” (Macierewicz i jego tajemnice), where he investigates links between Antoni Macierewicz, Poland’s Minister of Defence, and the Russian intelligence services, entities close to the Kremlin and organised crime. He is being accused of “using violence or unlawful threat [which] affects a government authority performing its duty…” and “insulting a public official in the course and in connection with the performance of [their] duties” and could face up to three years’ imprisonment
Minister of Justice Prosecutor General
Zbigniew Ziobro
Prokuratura Krajowa
Ul Rakowiecka 26/30
02-528 Warszawa
POLAND
September 13st 2017
To whom it may concern,
PEN International and The Norwegian Writers in Prison Committee hereby urge you to immediately abandon the case against Tomasz Piatek and respect his right to exercise freedom of expression in Poland.
PEN International and The Norwegian Writers in Prison Committee is concerned that journalist Piatek is being investigated for his publication of the book Macierewicz I jego tajemnice. Piatek is exercising his right to freedom of expression and we urge you not to pursue any criminal charges if they relate solely to his book and to his work as an investigative journalist.
To do so would be a violation of the right of freedom of expression, which in Poland is protected by Article 54 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
We therefore ask that you immediately abandon any intent to charge on the grounds of the publication of Macierewicz I jego tajemnice and Piatek’s work as a journalist.
Yours sincerely,
Mari Moen Holsve
Member of Writers in Prison Committee
Norwegian PEN
COPY: The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Russian Embassy in Norway
