Szczecin court dismisses defamation case against opposition councillor

A second-instance court has upheld the dismissal of a criminal defamation case brought by Szczecin Mayor Piotr Krzystek against PiS councillor Krzysztof Romianowski. The legal dispute originated from Romianowski’s criticism of city authorities regarding a fuel base in the Podjuchy district, specifically involving an AI-generated graphic that city officials claimed misled the public.

The court ruled that no defamation of the Municipality of Szczecin occurred and affirmed Romianowski’s right to criticize city administration. Following the ruling, Romianowski stated he would demand an apology from Mayor Krzystek, not only for himself but on behalf of the residents.

The case has raised questions regarding the use of public funds, as the Municipality of Szczecin filed the private indictment. Previous disclosed expenditures for the proceedings amounted to 4,321 PLN, leading to debates over the political responsibility of the mayor for using municipal resources in a dispute with a political opponent.