HRW demands the Polish government to drop the charges against an activist accused of helping to abort

July 13 () –

The NGO Human Right Watch (HRW) has demanded this Wednesday that the Polish Ministry of Justice drop the charges against the activist for the right to abortion Justyna Wydrzynska, who has been accused of having collaborated to facilitate an abortion to a woman who had a abusive relationship.

In what is considered Europe’s first known prosecution of an abortion activist for allegedly providing abortion pills, the organization has called on the Polish judiciary to stop “attacking reproductive rights defenders”, starting with dropping charges against the activist

Prosecuting a women’s rights activist accused of helping a victim of domestic violence shows how far the Polish government will go in its crusade to prevent women and girls from exercising their reproductive rights. HRW women’s rights researchers Hillary Margolis in a statement.

Margolis has maintained that “anyone” could face the trial, and has stressed that “no one should risk being charged with a crime for helping women obtain essential medical care.”

The first hearing scheduled for April 8 was postponed because the main prosecution witnesses did not appear. This included the husband of the survivor of domestic violence, who had informed the police of her wife’s intention to terminate her pregnancy, according to the NGO.

The pregnant woman had allegedly contacted Wydrzynska in early 2020 saying that she was unable to travel outside of Poland to have an abortion due to her husband’s controlling and abusive behavior, ultimately leading the activist to supply her with unauthorized medication.

At the hearing on April 8, representatives of human rights groups were barred from entering the courtroom. On the contrary, the judge allowed the ultra-conservative organization Ordo Iuris to join the accusation as a “part of social interest” to defend the supposed rights of the fetus.

In October 2020, the Polish Constitutional Court ruled that abortion for “serious and irreversible fetal defect or incurable disease that threatens the life of the fetus” is unconstitutional, virtually eliminating legal abortion in the country.

Before this ruling, more than 90 percent of the roughly 1,000 legal abortions performed annually in Poland were for this reason, according to HRW. Instead, abortion is now only permitted to safeguard a woman’s life or health or if the pregnancy is the result of a crime, such as rape or incest.

The NGO has recalled that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), medical abortion is a safe, non-invasive method that can be self-managed up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. Medicines recommended for medical abortion are included in the WHO list of essential medicines.

On the other hand, HRW has assured that “the evidence consistently shows that the laws that restrict or penalize abortion do not eliminate it, but rather encourage people to seek abortion through means that can put their mental and physical health at risk. and diminish their autonomy and dignity”.

“Prosecuting Wydrzynska is yet another cynical and ruthless attempt by the Polish authorities to cut off all avenues to safe abortion care through scaremongering (…) The government should use its resources to ensure that everyone in Poland can get the care sexual and reproductive health they need,” added Margolis.