U.S. legislature asks about the regulation of law in Poland
The Justice Committee of the United States home of Representatives is afraid about Donald Tusk's usage of the judiciary for attacks against political opponents.
| YAGOR MARIUS May 14 |
“Washington can no longer ignore the political repression applied by the Donald Tusk government in Poland, nor the EU censorship that threatens freedom of expression in both Poland and the United States”– reads communication on the pages of the Justice Committee of the United States home of Representatives.
Jim Jordan, president of the Justice Commission, along with 4 another congressmen, sent a letter to Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Justice and the Law, condemning these practices and demanding urgent action by Brussels.
The letter says:
“Dear Commissioner McGrath,
The U.S. home of Representatives Judiciary Committee examines how and to what degree abroad laws, regulations and judicial decisions force or compel companies to censor statements in the United States. We are hereby expressing concern about fresh reports that the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk is utilizing the Polish judiciary to attack political opponents and censor their statements. erstwhile examining the impact of these allegations on the possible impact of the European censorship strategy on freedom of speech in the United States, we kindly ask for information on whether and how the European Union (EU) intends to address these actions.
Since taking office in December 2023, Prime Minister Tusk has been carrying out legal actions against the political opposition of his government, the Law organization and Justice (PiS), including against organization leaders, erstwhile officials and supporters, which seem to aim to silence and weaken the political opposition before the presidential elections in Poland in 2025. For example, in March 2025 the Polish parliament, controlled by the organization of Prime Minister Tusk, deprived PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński of parliamentary immunity so that he could stand trial for defamation brought by the politician from the ruling coalition. In addition, a separate investigation into the leader of the PiS revealed reports that investigators had brutally treated PiS associates, including a erstwhile high-ranking co-worker who died of a heart attack only a fewer days after she was denied access to her lawyer during the interrogation. Earlier, in March 2024, the Polish Agency for interior safety (ABW) arrested priest Michał Olszewski, a Catholic priest who, according to reports, was friendly with the Minister of Justice in the Law and Justice government, on charges that according to reports were not supported by facts or documents. Reports besides indicate that the ABW treated Father Olszewski in an inhuman way, utilizing excessive means of physical coercion and depriving him of the basic means essential for life.
In addition to the PiS, reports besides propose that the government of Prime Minister Tusk has targeted conservative Polish media. Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski suggested withdrawing the broadcasting concession of the tv Republic station, which critically refers to the Tusk government. All of these actions rise concerns as to whether the Government of Tusk respects the democratic values of the EU and whether it will proceed to effort to silence its political rivals, utilizing anti-democratic government specified as the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), to censor statements critical of the Government of Tusk.
DSA requires social media platforms to have systemic censorship processes "misleading or fraudulent content", including alleged "disinformation". Since many social media platforms usually apply 1 set of rules to average content that apply around the world, restrictive government rules on censorship, specified as DSA, can de facto establish global standards of censorship and thus restrict American freedom of expression on the Internet. Thus government specified as the DSA violates the fundamental principles of liberal democracy, specified as the United States and EU associate States.
The papers obtained so far under the supervision of the Justice Commission revealed that the Government of Tusk is willing to effort to censor online content with which it disagrees. For example, in November 2024, the National Institute for investigation at the Ministry of Digital Affairs addressed TikTok Inc. (TikTok) to remove content suggesting that "electric cars are neither an ecological nor an economical solution". The National investigation Institute is under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who is liable for implementing the proposal of the president of the European Commission, Ursuli von der Leyen, on "the detection, tracing and deletion of [arguably] misleading online content in cooperation with national agencies". Although TikTok has so far been resisting the efforts of the Tusk Government to remove these content, the willingness of the Tusk Government to effort to remove them, combined with the government's actions against political opponents, is profoundly concerned. The efforts of a abroad government to remove supposedly undesirable content can straight and indirectly affect global freedom of speech on the Internet, including freedom of speech in the United States.
Under the Treaty on European Union, the EU is obliged to guarantee that associate States, including Poland, respect the regulation of law. However, unlike the criticism of Poland by the EU in the run-up to the Law and Justice, including the European Parliament's vote against the immunity of conservative Polish MPs for just expressing support for the PiS election film, the European Commission does not seem so keen to criticize the Tusk Government for its dubious actions. This clear double morality raises concerns about EU impartiality and its commitment to the protection of fundamental rights in all associate States. The silence of the EU may dare the Tusk Government to proceed its censory action, which may prompt the Polish Government to search global removal of statements with which it disagrees, which may yet lead to censorship of American statements.
We so kindly ask you to present the EU's position and the action taken on these worrying events. We ask you to hold an information gathering as shortly as possible, during which EU representatives will explain how the EU ensures that Prime Minister Tusk's government adheres to the principles of a fair trial, freedom of expression and the regulation of law enshrined in the EU Treaties; steps taken by the European Commission to analyse allegations of political persecution and violations of the regulation of law in Poland since December 2023; and EU plans to implement a fresh European democracy shield that will counter "disinformation" in a way that does not limit the rights of Americans to freedom of expression."
The letter includes signatures of committee president Jim Jordan and Darrell Iss, subcommittee president for Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the net of the Judiciary Commission, and congressmen Chris Smith, Andy Harris and Warren Davidson.
================================================================================
“Mr. Mariusz – how can you be supported?” asked me a question from 1 of my subscribers. Blog on Substack is simply a time-consuming hobby, but I did not plan this activity as a origin of additional income (so far I have 1 paid volunteer subscriber). But if anyone thinks that it is worth giving me financial support, then the following drop gives me the opportunity. For all deposit – thank you very much
Source:
