Ms Neelie Kroes - Komunikat

European
Federation of
Journalists
European
Presspublica Sp. z o. o.
FCenter
ederation of
Prosta Office
ul. Prosta 51
Journalists
00-838 Warszawa
E
President
ARNE KÖNIG
E
F
General Secretary
AIDAN WHITE
JF
E
Co-Directors
RENATE SCHROEDER & MARC GRUBER
JF
E
JF
J
P. Grzegorz Hajdarowicz
13November 2012
Dear Grzegorz Hajdarowicz,
Re: Press freedom in Poland: the case of the dismissals of journalists at
Rzeczpospolita
We write you on behalf of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European
group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the major journalists’ group
across Europe, to express our concern over violations of the rights of journalists and
media outlets in Poland.
Together with our affiliate, the Polish Journalists Association (SDP) we have publicly
criticised the decision to sack the editor-in chief of the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita along
with three journalists over a report on the plane crash which killed former President Lech
Kaczynski in April 2010.
We have been informed that Tomasz Wróblewski, the paper’s editor-in-chief, his deputy
Bartosz Marczuk, journalist Cezary Gmyz who wrote the article and internal affairs editor
Mariusz Staniszewski lost their jobs on Tuesday, 6 November, on the decision by the
supervisory board and the publisher of Rzeczpospolita, Presspublica belonging to you.
We understand that the article entitled "Trotyl in the wreckage of the Tupolev" triggered
a political row when it said they had found traces of TNT and nitro-glycerin on the wings
and in the cabin of the jet of former Polish President Lech Kaczynski which crashed in
Smoleńsk, Russia, two years ago, killing the President and 95 members of his delegation.
We are extremely concerned by the dismissals of the most senior and experienced
journalists of a respected daily newspaper in Poland due to their investigative journalism.
This shows that the Polish government is not respecting the independence of media when
it forces publishers to show undue consideration for the government and its interest.
European Federation of Journalists
Residence Palace Rue de la Loi 155 1040 Brussels Belgium
Tel +32(0)2 2352 202 • Fax +32(0)2 2352 219
website: http://europe.ifj.org/en • Email: [email protected]
Journalism as a public good.
We support our affiliate, the Polish Journalists Association (SDP) in its protests against
these politically driven dismissals, and would like you to consider to withdraw these
decisions.
We thank you for the attention that you will bring to this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Arne König
EFJ President