In an open letter, more than fifty Polish intellectuals stood by a Catholic priest who has been under investigation since March, questioning the impartiality of the judge handling the case.

    Michal Olszewski, a member of the monastic congregation called Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was arrested in March in connection with the investigation into the foundation established by the previous government.

On Tuesday, the Warsaw District Court will decide on his further detention, against which his lawyer filed a complaint.

In the open letter signed by, among others, writer Bronislaw Wildstein, Jacek Karnowski, editor-in-chief of the conservative weekly Sieci, writer Pawel Lisicki, editor-in-chief of the conservative weekly DoRzeczy, Krzysztof Skowronski, editor-in-chief of the independent channel Radio Wnet, president of the Association of Polish Journalists (SDP) , they point out: Olszewski's case took on a political character, the media uses it in the debate between the government camp and the opposition, and this is how the public evaluates it.

In the Polish judicial system, the judges deciding the cases are chosen by lot. Judge Piotr Kluz, who was deputy minister of justice in 2009-2012 during the previous government of the Civic Platform, which leads the current government coalition, was entrusted with conducting Olszewski's case.

Piotr Kluz made "at least one controversial decision" ahead of Tuesday's hearing when he limited Olszewski's lawyers to 15 minutes to speak. This practice "radically limits" the arrested person's right to defense, they write.

    Piotr Kluz's previous activity and political commitment call into question his judicial independence and the impartiality of his future judgment

they write.

At the end of March, the Polish investigative bodies arrested four persons in connection with the proceedings initiated against the Justice Fund, which operated under the Ministry of Justice during the previous government. Three of them are former officials of the Ministry of Justice, and the fourth is Michal Olszewski, known for his active pastoral activities.

The Profeto foundation, which he leads, is building a center in Warsaw for victims of crimes with the resources of the Justice Fund. The financing of the last stage of the investment worth 98 million zlotys (HUF 8.9 billion) was stopped by Donald Tusk's government.

    According to the prosecution's suspicion, the Profeto foundation won the tender even though it did not meet the formal conditions.

MTI

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