Police intervened at defenders of Piotr W. following false reports
Officers repeatedly appeared at the apartments of lawyers Magdalena Prządka-Leszczyńska and Bartosz Malewski following anonymous reports of murders. The lawyers suspect an attempt at intimidation.
Further police interventions at lawyers' homes
According to radiomaryja.pl, police intervened again at the apartments of lawyers defending a participant in protests outside the Constitutional Court. The actions by law enforcement authorities were preceded by false reports of murders.
On Monday evening, officers appeared at the Warsaw apartment of lawyer Magdalena Prządka-Leszczyńska. Services received an anonymous report that an attempted murder was taking place in the apartment. The door was opened by her 9-year-old son. The child alerted his mother, who was away from home.
"He was quite shaken, so my husband asked the officer to speak on the phone. The officer said they had received a report that a person with the surname Stankowski, who is wanted, was supposed to be hiding in our home" – lawyer Prządka-Leszczyńska reported on the X platform.
On Saturday 24 October, a similar incident occurred at the apartment of lawyer Bartosz Malewski, also defending Piotr W. Police officers received a report of a murder committed against a person close to the lawyers. Seven officers entered the apartment wearing bulletproof vests, carrying shields and firearms.
"I heard loud, forceful knocking on the apartment door and a call: 'Police, open up!'" – Malewski described. The intervention lasted approximately half an hour and ended with the situation being clarified.
Suspicions of intimidation
The lawyers do not rule out that the false reports constitute an attempt to exert pressure. Malewski is also the chairman of the Independence March Association, scheduled for 11 November.
"Perhaps something will happen to him outside the courtroom that affects his private life, the life of his family" – said lawyer Malewski, pointing to the possibility of intimidation affecting the exercise of his profession.
Piotr W. was detained on 16 October in connection with protests outside the Constitutional Court. A report of his detention was filed one day before the intervention at Malewski's apartment.
Malewski considered several hypotheses regarding the origin of the false reports. He drew attention to the approaching Independence March and the possibility of destabilising its preparations. He also did not rule out provocation by foreign intelligence services, intended to deepen divisions and undermine confidence in the Polish police.
The defender's activity
He informed the Regional Bar Council in Warsaw of the incident, requesting intervention and monitoring of the matter. He also personally filed a report of a crime at the police station.
"A lawyer must perform his duties even when the matter is high-profile, divides public opinion and generates pressure" – Malewski emphasised in his statement. He stressed that regardless of the intervention, preparations for the Independence March would continue.
In previous years, Malewski has received threats related to the organisation of the march. He has documented each of them and reported them to law enforcement authorities.
Position of the authorities
Politicians from the governing coalition do not see a problem with the actions of the services. They point out that police have an obligation to respond to reports of potential danger, regardless of the source of the report.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)