TV Republika reporter fined for defaming prosecutor

A Warsaw district court has found TV Republika reporter Michał Jelonek guilty of defaming prosecutor Anna Adamiak. The court imposed a fine of 3,600 PLN, consisting of 120 daily rates of 30 PLN each, and ordered the verdict to be made public.

The case stems from a live press conference held in January 2024 during which Jelonek asked Prime Minister Donald Tusk if the authority of then-Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar was based on the reinstatement of prosecutor Adamiak, suggesting she had contributed to the imprisonment of Belarusian opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.

Adamiak filed a private indictment in March 2024, arguing the question contained a false and defamatory premise. The legal representative for the prosecutor stated that the court determined Jelonek had a specific journalistic obligation to verify such claims. Jelonek has characterized the legal proceedings as an attempt to suppress his media outlet. The verdict is not final and is subject to appeal.