Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Ryszard Czarnecki must apologize Civic Platform (PO) MEP Róża Thun for comparing her to Nazi collaborators, the so-called Szmalcowniks - the District Court in Warsaw ruled on Friday. The ruling is not yet legally binding.
Thun filed a lawsuit demanding an apology from Czarnecki to be published in the media, as well as 50.000 zlotys to be donated by him to the "Forum Dialogu" organisation and "Dzieci Holokaustu" association.
The District Court in Warsaw ruled on Friday that by likening Róża Thun to "szmalcowniks", Czarnecki infringed on her good name, and that's why the politician must publish an apology at the main page of niezalezna.pl website and on the main page of his private blog, within 14 days after the ruling's coming into effect. Czarnecki must also pay 15.000 zlotys to each of the abovementioned organisations.
"I'm satisfied because the court has clearly stated that Mr Czarnecki's words were unlawful, that you simply cannot draw such comparisons, and that he was ordered to apologize," Róża Thun said after the verdict. Czarnecki did not show up at the court.
The feud between the two MEPs has been going on for over 19 months. In January 2018, Czarnecki said in an interview that Thun sneaked on her own country. "During the Second World War we had the szmalcowniks, and today we we have Róża von Thun und Hohenstein, who unfortunately follows a certain tradition," he said at the time.
Czarnecki later explained that his words were a reaction to Thun's comments made in German-French television, regarding social and political situation in Poland under Law and Justice rule. The material showed snippets of anti-government demonstrations, and Thun was to suggest that Poland heads towards dictatorship.
Czarnecki's remark was widely covered by international media. In February 2018, by thev majority of votes, the Law and Justice MEP was removed from the position of European Parliament's vice president.
In April 2018, Czarnecki appealed against the decision, arguing that his right to defend himself and to being heard were violated.
In June 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union rejected Ryszard Czarnecki's complaint against the decision to dismiss him as one of the deputy presidents of the European Parliament.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP