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2 clusters · 5 sources · 6 days · First seen 27 days ago · Last updated 21 days ago

Polish defamation court rulings against media

Overview

Recent legal developments in Poland have seen courts issue rulings against media entities and journalists regarding defamation.

In one instance, journalist Cezary Gmyz was court-ordered to issue a public apology to Ringier Axel Springer Polska (RASP). The ruling followed a lawsuit concerning Gmyz’s 2017 and 2018 publications, which the court found contained false information and terminology referencing Third Reich ideology.

Separately, the Gdańsk Court of Appeal issued a final verdict requiring Gazeta Wyborcza and its publisher, Agora, to apologize to the family of the late priest Henryk Jankowski and pay symbolic damages. The court determined that a 2018 report accusing Jankowski of sexual violence lacked journalistic due diligence and relied on unreliable witnesses.

In a related development, the Gdańsk Court of Appeal ruled that the publisher of ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’ must apologize and remove specific sections from a 2018 report published in the supplement ‘Duży Format’ by author Bożena Aksamit. The report had alleged instances of pedophilia involving the former Solidarity chaplain. The court found that certain claims, specifically those regarding a 16-year-old girl’s suicide and an alleged pregnancy, could not be confirmed. The legal dispute was initiated by the siblings of the deceased priest, who claimed the publication violated their personal rights and the memory of their brother. Legal counsel for the publisher, Tomasz Ejtminowicz, has announced intentions to file a cassation appeal and a motion to stay the execution of the verdict.

Entities

Ringier Axel Springer Polska · Robert Feluś · Gazeta Wyborcza · Gdańsk Court of Appeal · St. Brygida Parish

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The Gdańsk Court of Appeal ruled that the publisher of Gazeta Wyborcza must apologize and remove parts of a 2018 report regarding Father Henryk Jankowski. www.press.pl
[○ 1 SOURCE] Tomasz Ejtminowicz, the representative for the publisher, announced plans for a cassation appeal and a motion to stay the verdict. www.press.pl
[○ 1 SOURCE] The 2018 report by Bożena Aksamit alleged sexual abuse of minors by Father Henryk Jankowski. www.press.pl
[○ 1 SOURCE] In March 2023, the District Court in Gdańsk ordered apologies regarding a specific thread involving the suicide of a 16-year-old. www.press.pl

Timeline

21 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources
Gdańsk Court orders Gazeta Wyborcza to apologize over Henryk Jankowski report
The Gdańsk Court of Appeal ruled that Gazeta Wyborcza must apologize and retract parts of a 2018 report alleging pedophilia by the late priest Henryk Jankowski.
27 days ago

[CULTURE] 2 sources
Cezary Gmyz issues apology to Ringier Axel Springer Polska
Journalist Cezary Gmyz issued a court-ordered apology to Ringier Axel Springer Polska for defamatory posts made in 2017 and 2018 regarding the publisher and 'Faktu' newspaper.

Sources

dorzeczy.pl · dziennik-polityczny.com · press.pl · pressmania.pl · wiadomosci.onet.pl

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history