According to information provided to the International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, on 25 January, a court in Warsaw fined Jerzy Urban, publisher of the Nie weekly magazine, approximately US $6,400 for insulting Pope John Paul II under a law that criminalizes insults aimed at foreign heads of state.

The charges against Urban stem from an article he wrote and published in Nie on 15 August 2002, following the Pope’s last visit to his native Poland. The article was titled “Walking Sado-Masochism.”

Prior to the announcement of the fine, on 14 January, a prosecutor in the case had asked the court to sentence Urban to a 10-month suspended term of imprisonment and a fine of US $6,500. Urban has consistently argued that his right to free expression protected the article.

“This is an extremely unfortunate legal decision from a country that has newly joined the European Union. It shows that the process of harmonizing Poland’s laws before joining the European Union has failed to ensure that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected in Poland,” commented Johann P. Fritz, IPI Director.

Fritz added, “Criminal insult laws are an anachronism and should be removed from every legal system. They certainly should not exist within the boundaries of the European Union and I find it disappointing that a journalist now has the stigma of a criminal record for merely expressing his opinions.”

“In effect, the decision of the court is saying that journalists should consider very carefully what they say before writing it. If they fail to heed this warning, they will find themselves facing criminal prosecution. The decision will only encourage greater self-censorship in Poland and this is to the detriment of not only the journalism profession, but also the country’s readership which will be deprived of valuable information.”