On her return from a four-day mission to Poland on the country’s border with Belarus, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights denounced the “current highly politicised situation, sustained by a narrative dominated by security”, which leaves no room for respect of fundamental human rights.
This situation is the result of “reprehensible actions by Belarus”, as Dunja Mijatović highlighted, but this does not exempt Poland from its obligations.
She outlined the consequences of the ban on access to the areas adjacent to the border (covered by the Polish state of emergency): hindrance of humanitarian aid and human rights work, denial of free access to the media, which feeds disinformation and reinforces the feeling of insecurity.
Moreover, as the Commissioner stressed, the bill adopted by the Sejm (Lower House) on 17 November sets out new rules to take over from the state of emergency and risks perpetuating this extraordinary situation by affecting “with serious and long-term implications” the freedoms of movement, expression and information as well as the defence of human rights.
She added that these measures, combined with the militarisation of the border areas, have a serious impact on the local population.
The current restrictions must be “removed, not perpetuated by new legislation”, she said, stressing the role of the Polish Human Rights Ombudsman, who is the only one with free access to these areas. The latter “must be completely free from any restrictions on carrying out his mandate”.
The Commissioner also calls on the Polish authorities to investigate vigilante groups operating in the region.
Link to the Statement in English: https://bit.ly/3FqFosI (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)