Polish writer jailed for 3 years for calling president ‘retard’

In Poland, a famous writer and journalist is being prosecuted for insulting President Andrzej Duda. Jukub Zulkik wrote in a Facebook post that Duda was a “regression”. By this verdict, he is now serving three years in prison.

In November, Zulkik responded to Duda’s tweet about the US presidential election. There Congratulations He said with his victory over Joe Biden, “We still have to wait for the appointment of the Electoral College.” The latter is a ritual, so, according to the author, booking is unnecessary.

Then by Duda moron The attorney’s office in Warsaw says Zulkik went one step further. “This term is unacceptable and cannot be considered substantial criticism,” the indictment said.

The lawyer’s spokesman says the author was questioned by the Conservative news site Politics. At that hearing he stuck to the president’s verdict.

Comprehensive defamation laws

Zulkik writes on Facebook that he was the first writer in Poland to be persecuted for so long. In addition, he says Duda is actually guilty of insulting groups of people. For example, during a campaign rally in 2020, he issued the statement: “The LGBT people are not people, but an ideology.”

Poland has expanded its defamation laws in recent years. For example, insulting government leaders and religious leaders has been accused. According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Poland has the highest number of all member states prosecuted for libel and libel. Especially Number of contempt cases Increases.

In December one man got another A social service order Because he drank penis on a duda election poster while drunk. Bee Struggles against the ruling Bais party Protesters were arrested for chanting ‘hurtful slogans’ about politicians.

Newspapers at the demonstration

Independent newspapers and news outlets have condemned the prosecution of Zulkik, claiming that freedom of expression in Poland is under threat. Newsweek Polka asks in a comment how lawyers are going to prove that “Duda is not an idiot”.

However, according to prosecutors, it is uncertain whether Zulkik will actually disappear under lock and key. Advocate Dominika Pichavska-Seniorska tells the left-liberal newspaper Geseta Vyborka that the writer is likely to escape fines or social service. “You should not be imprisoned for such contempt,” he believes.