Poland under scrutiny at the UN

Poland came under scrutiny at the hearing at the United Nation’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, where countries reviewed its record on rights, the rule of law and democracy. A number of nations, including the US, and nine EU member states voiced their concerns on recent judiciary and media bills, as well as Warsaw's strict abortion laws, treating of minorities and foreigners. “We remain deeply concerned about judicial independence. We are also concerned about the continued discrimination and incidents targeting minorities in Poland, including homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic speech and acts,” US representative Sheila Leonard said. EU members, including Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Belgium and Czechia called on Poland to reverse reforms that have damaged the authority of its Constitutional Tribunal, and urged the Polish government to implement the recommendations of the European Commission and called for protection of the media. Polish officials defended their record, saying the changes Law and Justice (PiS) introduced were in line with European norms, and boasted about reducing poverty among children thanks to its Family 500+ program.