“We demand that PM urgently explain Friday's events in Warsaw’: Kidawa-Błońska
18:28
"We demand from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki an urgent explanation of Friday's events in the capital of Poland," said Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm on Saturday. It's about arrests related to the LGBT activist case.
According to the prosecutor's office, Michał Sz. (introducing himself as Małgorzata Sz. "Margot") was suspected of committing a hooligan act involving participation in a crowd, brutal attack on a pro-life activist and destruction of property belonging to the foundation. It is about the events of June 27 this year. Such an act is punishable by up to five years imprisonment. The court imposed a two-month pre-trial detention against him on Friday, allowing for the prosecutor's complaint.
Due to the court's decision, a protest took place on Friday afternoon in front of the Warsaw headquarters of the Campaign Against Homophobia, as a result of which the police arrested a total of 48 people.
"Every citizen has the right to protest. Every citizen must feel safe. That is why we demand that the Prime Minister urgently explain how these actions happened yesterday, why they were so brutal, why people were detained - in our opinion - for no reason," Kidawa-Błońska told the media.
The Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, also expressed his objection.
"The authorities are cynically seeking to inflame the situation in Poland and trying to divide us and infuse us. What is happening today in the streets of my city resembles the methods known from the previous era," Rafał Trzaskowski said.
The Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, stated that opposition politicians are on the side of banditry, and defending banditry is unheard of.
Meanwhile, Dunja Mijatović, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, appealed for the immediate release of Michał Sz. In her opinion, the fact that an LGBT activist was detained for two months sends a disturbing signal when it comes to freedom of speech in Poland and LGBT rights.
