of conscientious investigation proceedings. That judgement should trigger deeper reflection concerning means of direct coercion, in particular the so-called stun guns and conscientious investigation
proceedings explaining cases of abuse committed by officers.
In the second statement the Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep concern about the
apprehension method and treatment by the Police of a man suspected of murdering a 10-year-old
girl from Mrowiny. The whole procedure was filmed by the Police and the video was subsequently
placed on the Internet. What was challenged in the statement was the proportionality of direct coercion measures applied with respect to the suspect by a group of 10 police officers (joined shackles
placed at the back making it impossible for the suspect to move around) as well as the fact that the
man was walked out of the building without footwear, only wearing underwear and a T-shirt. What
also raised doubt was the night-time interrogation of the suspect and the fact that in its course he
remained only partially clothed. Another disconcerting aspect referred to in the statement was the
lack of information about ensuring access to a defense counsel for the detained, which in the context
of planned psychiatric examination of the man constitutes an obligation of the state. Furthermore,
a picture of the suspect from interrogation “leaked” and thus was made public, which meant clear
violation of the presumption of innocence.
Instead of a substantive discussion in the aftermath of those events, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights alongside the Commissioner himself were uncompromisingly attacked with
hate speech. He was accused of being the commissioner of gangsters and murderers and not their
victims. Representatives of high-ranking public offices demanded that the CHR be dismissed on the
grounds of representing the interests of only some part of the society. Apart from that, the public
television aired material related to his family situation which violated personal rights of the CHR.
Comments of Internet-users published under media announcements concerning the statement
of the NMPT demonstrated that there is an absolute lack of awareness about the need to defend the
rights of the detained, which results from his/her inviolable human dignity and the Commissioner’s
obligation to intervene any time this dignity is violated. Comments calling for lynching or even killing
the suspect were not uncommon.
Those reactions made the Commissioner issue yet another statement in which he explained the
reasons and the need to publish the stance of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture
with respect to the treatment of the apprehended man.
International cooperation
An important element of the operation and development of the National Mechanism for the
Prevention of Torture is the participation of its representatives in various events on the national
and international level. This way, the NMPT emphasizes its role as a body that protects the rights of
persons deprived of their liberty, as well as gains new experience stemming from cooperation with
other entities operating in this area.
Report of the Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture in Poland in 2019
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