Polish prosecutors seize hospital director's phone in journalist source investigation

The Bydgoszcz District Prosecutor's Office has seized the private mobile phone of Mariusz Trojanowski, the director of a hospital in Aleksandrów Kujawski. The action follows an investigation into how information regarding a medical procedure performed on the minor son of Senator Tomasz Lenz was leaked to a reporter from Wirtualna Polska.

Investigators reportedly used phone records (call logs) showing contact between Trojanowski and journalist Michał Janczura as the basis for the seizure. The prosecutor's office aims to access correspondence to identify the source of the information. This move has drawn criticism from media organizations and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, who argue it constitutes an attempt to bypass press laws that protect journalistic sources.

The original reporting by Wirtualna Polska alleged that the medical procedure for Senator Lenz's son was conducted outside standard protocols, without formal parental consent or proper medical documentation, and without following the standard waiting list. The controversy previously led to the exclusion of Senator Lenz from the Civic Coalition and the dismissal of Trojanowski from his position.