News - Commissioner for Human Rights

• The Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine expresses her solidarity with the Statement issued by the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) on the need to comply with international standards during the selection and appointment of new Heads of NHRIs and during any associated transitional period

The Commissioner for Human Rights addressed the Chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners Equality and Human Rights Commission regarding withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from Polish citizen (referred to as RS) who is currently hospitalised in the University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust in Great Britain. According to media coverage, RS was admitted to the hospital following a heart attack.

Commissioner for Human Rights Adam Bodnar took part in panel discussion “Is there a case for rekindled democracy assistance in Central and Eastern Europe?” organized on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of IDEA

Full text of the speech:

The issue of abortion concerns people who find themselves in most dramatic situations of life. For the last several decades, Poland’s law in this area has been restrictive, although considered to constitute a political and social compromise. In practice, in many places of the country the law was not complied with (e.g.

On 9th September 2020, the 5-years term of the current Polish Ombudsman (Commissioner for Human Rights) Adam Bodnar, ended. The Parliament did not select a new person for this position yet. Thus, following the Article 3.6 of the Law on the Commissioner, Professor Bodnar stays in the office until the appointment of the new Commissioner for Human Rights.

Adam Bodnar, the outgoing Human Rights Commissioner was one of the guests of the Verfassungsblog -  a journalistic and academic forum of debate on topical events and developments in constitutional law and politics in Germany, the emerging common European constitutional space and beyond. He took part in a discussion about disciplinary proceedings for judges.

Following an invitation from the authorities of Poland, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed a Special Election Assessment Mission (SEAM) on 15 June.

In view of the subsequent statements that are made in the present election campaign and the related public debate, and that are targeted at LGBT persons (lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender persons), I call on everyone to refrain from such speech of exclusion and contempt. The border of freedom of speech, that must not be crossed, is the dignity of another human being.

The Commissioner for Human Rights has asked the Prime Minister to clarify the inaccurate information in some of the statements made by the government regarding the actions taken by the European Union to combat the coronavirus epidemic and its consequences.

• The Commissioner received a request to undertake the case of Mr Andrzej, a crew member of the Polish ship MS "Joseph Conrad". The ship was bombed during the attack of the American Air Force on the Haifong harbour in Vietnam in December 1972.

In connection with the passing by the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, on 20 December 2019, of the Act amending the Law on the System of Ordinary Courts, the Act on the Supreme Court and certain other acts, and the submission thereof to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, the Commissioner for Human Rights sent the Speaker of the Senate of Republic of Poland comments regarding the Act, requeste

The workshop organized at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights focused on the rights of older persons, namely on the right to lifelong learning and capacity building of social protection for older persons. It was already the third joint workshop on the human rights of older persons co-organized by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland and German Institute for Human Rights.