Poland
ENTRY INTO FORCE of the European Convention on Human Rights
19 January 1993
Number of implemented cases*
1587
Examples
Tens of thousands of people compensated over World War II property claims
Jerzy Broniowski waited over 60 years to be compensated for the property his grandmother was forced to abandon at the end of the Second World War. Justice was finally delivered when a European court judgment led Poland to properly compensate Jerzy and many others like him. It was the first time the court used a special procedure designed to deal with widespread and systemic problems.
Poland
Better protections for peaceful demonstrations after protest was banned
An NGO organised a series of demonstrations in Warsaw, to highlight discrimination against women and minorities. The gatherings were banned, after the city’s mayor said that he was against them because they included support for gay rights. The European court ruled that the ban violated the right to public assembly. This led to changes to Polish law to protect the right to protest.
Improvements to prison healthcare after inmate with epilepsy denied proper treatment
Robert Kaprykowski, who has severe epilepsy, struggled to get the help he needed in prison, even though doctors warned that his life was at risk without specialist care. The European court found that the Polish authorities failed to provide Robert with proper medical care. This amounted to ill-treatment. Following the judgment, Poland made substantial improvements to prison healthcare.
Almost three years’ imprisonment for a crime he did not commit – and reforms to protect liberty
Wrongfully accused of murder and attempted burglary, Andrzej Leszczak was detained for almost three years before being acquitted at trial. The European court ruled that the Polish authorities had not given proper reasons for holding him and had not explored different ways of making sure he attended his trial. Following a series of such cases, Poland changed laws to protect liberty rights.
Reforms to prevent police brutality after violent assault on innocent man
Artur Mrozowski was on the train home from work when the police arrived in response to disruption caused by other passengers. Mr Mrozowski was sober, peaceful and calm but an officer beat him in the face with a truncheon, knocking out three of his teeth. An investigation found that the police had done nothing wrong, but the European court ruled in his favour. Following this and other cases,...
Death of a detainee leads to changes to medical practices in prison
A young man suffering from psychosis and depression was imprisoned for theft. Whilst in jail, he committed suicide. The Strasbourg court ruled that the authorities had not done enough to protect his life. New rules were set up to help prison staff prevent inmates committing suicide.
* This figure includes all judgments and decisions from the European Court of Human Rights (including friendly settlements) concerning which the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has decided that all necessary follow-up measures have been taken. Source: the database of the Department for the Execution of Judgments of the ECHR, HUDOC-EXEC.