Open letter to the European Commision

Panoptykon Foundation co-signed the open letter to the European Commision, regarding the situation in Poland, in which we express our concern with the legislative changes in Poland, that began with undermining with the legitimacy of the Constitutional Tribunal, but went much further, affecting the full scope of fundamental rights of Polish citizens. Amnesty International, FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), Human Rights Watch, Open Society European Policy Institute, Reporters without Borders and other Polish and international NGOs were among the signees of the letters.

"(...) the changes impacting the Constitutional Tribunal are part of a wider sequence of reforms which undermine checks and balances and restrict human rights in Poland. Since the current government came into power in October 2015, reforms were passed which have significantly expanded the powers of the executive at the expense of the judiciary, thus undermining the separation of powers, an essential component of the rule of law. Attempts to restrict human rights, including freedom of expression and media freedom, freedom of assembly, the right to privacy and women’s sexual and reproductive rights, particularly the right to abortion, have also multiplied and are a source of concern. Although reforms have been met with a strong response by civil society, the government’s reaction to protests further confirms its resolve to silence critical voices and hold a grip on democratic counter-powers". Read all