As the Ombudsman, I observed with great concern the events that took place yesterday evening (August 7, 2020) in Krakowskie Przedmieście against people protesting in connection with the temporary arrest of an activist from the "Stop Bzdurom" group. Being responsible for the protection of fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms, especially against violations by public authorities, I decided to initiate an investigation into this matter.

Recordings from the scene of the incident available in the media and public accounts of witnesses, including MPs and deputies to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, indicate that the conduct of Police officers requires urgent explanation in terms of its correctness and compliance with the law.

For this reason, I have already acted on this matter ex officio. In their course, the following will be explained:

reasons and legal grounds for the police intervention against the protesters,
circumstances and reasons for detaining a large number of people (from currently available information - about 50 people),
the use of direct coercive measures against the protesters,
respect for the rights of detainees at Police stations, including access to a lawyer or legal advisor during actions taken by the Police towards the detained.

In addition, today representatives and representatives of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture - the body responsible for eliminating the risk of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment - carry out checks at Police stations where people detained during yesterday's events are present.

In a democratic state ruled by law, all citizens - regardless of any characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity - should enjoy their full rights with a sense of security and dignity. I would like to emphasize that the protection of this safety is one of the basic tasks of the Police.

Adam Bodnar
Ombudsman