Blogger from Mosina acquitted
18.09.2020
After 12 years of litigation, the Poznań Court of Appeal, relying on a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, has acquitted a blogger from Mosina of criminal defamation.
The case began in 2008, when the mayor of the Polish town of Mosina accused a blogger of criminal defamation for criticising the mayor on his blog. The district court found the blogger guilty, but on appeal the case was discontinued. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court of Poland upheld a cassation appeal and twice remanded the case for reconsideration. In January 2020, the regional court conditionally discontinued the proceeding for a probationary period of one year and ordered the blogger to pay a fine of PLN 500 to the Fund for Victims’ Aid and Post-Penitentiary Assistance.
The proceeding was joined by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, which filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights alleging violation of the blogger’s freedom of expression. After a ruling in the blogger’s favour by the ECtHR, the court of appeal acquitted the blogger in the Polish proceeding.
At the request of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the blogger was represented pro bono by Artur Pietryka from Wardyński & Partners.
More on the foundation’s website.