“I have filed a parliamentary question with the Prime Minister regarding the prohibition of entry into the Schengen Area issued in the case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska ” – this is what Marcin Święcicki Member of the Polish Sejm posted on his Facebook profile on 22 August, 2018, where he also shared the content of such an inquiry. Among others, Święcicki calls for an explanation why the Polish government has imposed such sanctions upon ODF President not giving her any chance to defend herself.
The reason why Lyudmyla Kozlovska’s name was entered into SIS was a negative opinion issued by the Counterintelligence Division of the Internal Security Agency concerning the sources of financing of the Open Dialogue Foundation, Apart from enumerating the Foundation’s achievements in the area of defending human rights in post-Soviet countries, Marcin Święcicki also argues that an assault on the ODF is a success of Russian and Kazakhstani authorities, because the Foundation has been taking efforts in order to focus the UE’s attention upon political persecution in those countries.
In consideration of the above, I would like to ask you, Mr Prime Minister, to respond to the following questions:
1. Are prohibitions of entry into the Schengen area also issued in the case of executive members of any other organisations if the Polish authorities happen to have doubts regarding their finances?
2. Has the Internal Security Agency ever requested that the ODF explain the doubts they might have as regards its financing sources?
3. Does the use of such extraordinary measures against someone who has been actively involved in defending human rights in the post-Soviet region go well with Poland’s reputation as a country famous for its rich history of civil strikes against the authoritarian regime?
4. Why has someone who has done so much to defend human rights in the post-Soviet region been subjected to such sanctions without being notified about their actual rationale, particularly since this makes it impossible to take steps to defend oneself, file appeals or request clarification? – asked Święcicki.
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See also:
- Poland uses SIS to prevent President of the Open Dialogue Foundation from entering the Schengen area
- Information on the inclusion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska in the SIS database by Poland
Other support voices:
- Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights: Detention of the ODF President has been illegal
- Ombudsman intervenes on the issue of expulsion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- Wielowieyski and Święcicki defend the Open Dialogue Foundation. Polemic with Pełczyńska-Nałęcz
- Andrzej Wielowieyski for Rzeczpospolita: The strike against the Open Dialogue Foundation is Russia’s success
- Ukrainian NGOs call for support for Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- Freedom Square: The case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska is a test of our solidarity
- Guy Verhofstadt: The Schengen visa ban on Lyudmyla Kozlovska must be withdrawn
- MEP Rebecca Harms shocked by the expulsion of the ODF President from the EU
- Dr. Evelien Brouwer: Schengen Entry Bans for Political Reasons? The Case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska
