Court rulings in Poland involve local official acquittal and delayed appeal

In Tomaszów Lubelski, the District Court in Zamość has acquitted Piotr Babiarz, the vice-chairman of the Municipal Council, of defamation charges. The court overturned a previous ruling from the District Court in Tomaszów Lubelski. As a result of the acquittal, the private prosecutor, Marzena Czubaj-Gancarz, was ordered to pay 840 PLN in legal costs to Babiarz, along with other process costs.

Separately, the Court of Appeal in Gdańsk has postponed the hearing for the appeal of Wojciech O., known as ‘Jaszczur’, until January 7, 2027. Wojciech O. was previously sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for exerting unlawful influence on the Sejm (the Polish Parliament) through threats and insulting MP Marcelina Zawisza. The court has closed the proceedings to the public due to the nature of the defamation charges. The case stems from a January 2022 protest in Bydgoszcz where the defendant allegedly made threats against lawmakers.