Rzeczpospolita dispute threatens diplomatic incident

The Norwegian daily Aftenposten is claiming that actions taken by the Warsaw prosecutor against three board members of Presspublika, publisher of the Rzeczpospolita daily, may cause "a diplomatic incident between Poland and Norway." Last week the three executives were placed under police supervision and had their passports confiscated after being accused of acting against the interests of Presspublika, which is 51% owned by Norway's Orkla Media Group. According to Aftenposten, Orkla has now asked the Norwegian embassy in Warsaw to intervene, since it regards the dispute as political and a "campaign planned by the Polish directors aimed at taking over control of the paper." The Norwegian ambassador in Warsaw has refused to comment on the affair. Johann P. Fritz from the International Press Institute has asked Prime Minister Leszek Miller to have their passports returned to the P resspublika executives. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 24) M.T.K.