News - Commissioner for Human Rights

In response to the CHR’s request dated 26 January 2021, ODIHR provided Urgent Opinion on the Draft Act Amending the Code of Procedure in Petty Offence Cases of Poland.

The Commissioner for Human Rights received a letter from the municipal ombudspersons in the Netherlands, who are concerned about the way the Polish government is handling the election procedure for a new ombudsman.

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.