Guy Verhofstadt, the Chair of the Liberal Group at the European Parliament, famous for his bitter criticism of the reforms introduced in Poland by the Law and Justice party incisively commentedon the expulsion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President of the Open Dialog Foundation, from the EU territory upon request of the Polish government. In his view, such act is worthy of authoritarian regimes.
“Black lists against democracy activists are worthy of authoritarian regimes, not of EU Member States. The Schengen visa ban on Lyudmyla Kozlovska must be withdrawn – or Poland’s role in Schengen reviewed” – Verhofstadt posted on Twitter.
It is worth reminding that the Internal Security Agency has issued its statement on the prohibition of entry into Poland and the EU issued in the case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska. However, in such statement no specific grounds for detaining the ODF President have been presented. Kozlovska commented this issue on Twitter as follows: “From my experience gathered in the course of defending victims of political persecutions in many differnt countries I have learnt that the so-called ‘secret reports’ of security services, slanders and intimidation are the most skilful weapons used by authoritarian regimes”.
Source: twitter.com/guyverhofstadt
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See also:
- Poland uses SIS to prevent President of the Open Dialog 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 Dialog Foundation. Polemic with Pełczyńska-Nałęcz
- Marcin Święcicki, Member of the Polish Sejm, issued a parliamentary question concerning the removal of Lyudmyla Kozlovska from the territory of the EU to the Polish Prime Minister
- Andrzej Wielowieyski for Rzeczpospolita: The strike against the Open Dialog 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
- Dr. Evelien Brouwer: Schengen Entry Bans for Political Reasons? The Case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- MEP Rebecca Harms shocked by the expulsion of the ODF President from the EU