Strasbourg, 15/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - Speaking on Friday 12 February following a four-day visit to Poland, Nils Muiznieks, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, expressed concern at laws adopted in haste by the Polish parliament in recent months.
“The paralysis of the Constitutional Tribunal bears heavy consequences for human rights of all Polish citizens”, he said, urging the Polish authorities to abide fully by the opinion of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission which travelled to Warsaw on 7-9 February and will publish its opinion at the next plenary session scheduled for 11-12 March (see EUROPE 11471).
“There can be no real human rights protection without mechanisms guaranteeing the rule of law, in particular by ensuring checks and balances among the different state's powers”, stated Muiznieks, expressing concern at the adoption in December of transitional legislation on public service media. “Placing public service media under direct government control by giving the latter the powers to appoint and dismiss the members of the supervisory and management boards of public service television and radio contradicts Council of Europe standards which notably require that public service media remain independent of political or economic interference”, he noted.
Muiznieks strongly encouraged the Polish authorities to consult with civil society, the Council of Europe and all national and international partners when drafting the announced reform. In his view, “strong safeguards to protect the independence and pluralism of public media enabling it to play its role of a watchdog in a democratic society should be put in place”.
He is also concerned over the protection of personal information and says that this protection must be re-established and be fully in line with the European Convention on Human Rights. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)