The District Court in Bolesławiec had previously issued a penalty order in the case, which Halina Gniewek has now challenged. The court found her guilty of the alleged offenses and imposed a PLN 500 fine. The woman was convicted under Article 52 § 2(2) of the Code of Petty Offenses (anyone who organizes an assembly without the required notification or chairs such an assembly, or a prohibited assembly, is subject to restriction of liberty or a fine).
“We intend to convince the District Court in Bolesławiec that my client had the right to spontaneously demonstrate together with other residents, express her views and civil rights, and disagree with the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling concerning women and their right to abortion,” said the defendant’s attorney, counsel Beata Janikowska.
During the hearing on February 17, 2022, the defendant explained that she had neither chaired nor organized the walks held as part of the Women’s Strike. “I am a pro-democracy person, and it makes me angry when something happens that is inconsistent with the Constitution,” said Halina Gniewek. “I was neither the organizer nor the chair of the walks in Gromadka. The walks on those days were spontaneous acts. The only thing I organized in Gromadka was Tour de Konstytucja,” the woman added.
When asked by the court what led the police to identify her as the organizer of the assembly, Halina Gniewek replied that she had spoken with the community police officer.
“The community police officer approached me. I spoke with him for a long time and introduced myself,” Gniewek told the court. “We talked casually about how to maintain order. At the first walk there was my friend, my brother, my sister-in-law, and several other people. Because of the pandemic, I felt obliged to inform them about wearing masks,” the defendant added.
At the next hearing, the court will summon as a witness the community police officer who spoke with the defendant during the walk in 2020.