STATEMENTS OF THE NMPT AS A FORM OF BUILDING AN ATTITUDE OF NONTOLERANCE TOWARDS TORTURE AND CRUEL AND DEGRADING TREATMENT Since 2017, the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture has been using an educational tool in the form of NMPT statements. The statements present the NMPT’s position on events significant from the point of view of torture prevention. Such events may include the passing of a ruling by a national court or the ECHR, media announcements or adoption of a legislative act. In 2020, the NMPT issued 2 statements that were published on the website www.rpo.gov.pl. The first one concerned the action carried out by police officers with regard to a man in Nowy Czarnów. As the media revealed, on 6 January 2020 two police officers approached a man who was sitting on a bench. The man tried to run away. The officers stopped him, pushed him, kicked and strangled him, trying to make him sit on the bench again. The officers then drove away, leaving the man on the bench. According to the NMPT, the way the man was treated is a clear example of inhuman and degrading treatment, strictly prohibited by the Constitution and by relevant international agreements. The police officers acted in a manner grossly disproportionate to the situation. The NMPT emphasises that violence against detainees should be treated as unacceptable behaviour, that negatively impacts the image of the police as a public service. The second statement concerned the detention of a woman who was taking part in a solidarityexpressing protest held in front of the district police station Warsaw I. During the apprehension action, the women’s arm was broken in several places. The NMPT expressed its concern about the escalation of violence on the part of some police officers detaining people during peaceful demonstrations in various parts of the country. The NMPT reminded that even when suppressing demonstrations, police officers should take only such measures that are adequate to the situation they are attempting to control. In the case of the woman, it is necessary to emphasize the violation of anti-torture standards, and the possibility of the officers’ criminal liability under Article 157(1) of the Penal Code. What is shocking is that the detainee was not guaranteed immediate access to medical assistance, which access should have been provided without delay. After the refusal of the emergency medical service dispatcher, the officers should have transported the detainee to a hospital emergency department. 18