The key facts
- Police again failed to let suspended president of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal Bogdan Święczkowski into the court building in Warsaw
- The judge accused police officers of taking part in a 'coup d'état' and carrying out Prime Minister Tusk's orders
- The police maintain that they are merely ensuring the security of the institution without interfering in the court's work
Another attempt to return to his workplace
Bogdan Święczkowski, the suspended president of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, on November 5 once again tried to get to his workplace in Warsaw, but police officers refused to let him through the cordon. This was reported by Life.ru citing the TV channel Polsat. The judge addressed the police officers with a demand to leave the court's premises: 'For the last time, I am calling on you to leave the territory of the Constitutional Tribunal, because you are here unlawfully.' He demanded that the gates be opened, the chains removed and the barriers cleared away from the entrance to the building. The police officers remained at their posts and did not let him inside; it is noted that this is not the first such attempt since his suspension.
Accusations against the police and the parties' positions
Święczkowski accused law enforcement officers of taking part in a 'coup d'état' and warned of criminal liability — according to him, not only rank-and-file officers but also their commanders will be held accountable. He also stated that the police are carrying out the orders of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and that the cordon prevents citizens from turning to the court with constitutional complaints for the protection of rights and freedoms. The parties to the conflict hold opposing assessments of what is happening: President Karol Nawrocki and the opposition dispute the legality of the suspension, Tusk's government says it is seeking to restore the independence of the judiciary, while the police maintain that they are merely ensuring the security of the institution, staying on the adjacent territory and not interfering in the court's work.
Background of the crisis
The conflict around the Constitutional Tribunal escalated on October 30, when judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announced the temporary suspension of Święczkowski and his deputy Bartłomiej Sochański. It was this decision that prompted the series of attempts by the suspended president to return to the court building, which the police are blocking. No further legal steps by the parties are reported in the available publications.
