On 29 October 2018, the President of the Open Dialogue Foundation, Lyudmyla Kozlovska, and the Chairperson of the Foundation Board, Bartosz Kramek, were interviewed by Radio International. They gave their own account of the political situation in Poland, and talked about the deportation of the President of the Open Dialogue Foundation from the European Union and about Polish–Ukrainian solidarity. The interview was published on the website of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.
“I think that my deportation is clearly a politically motivated issue, mainly because it is linked with my and my husband’s civic position. Last year, we took part in protests to defend human rights in Poland, the rule of law and the Polish Constitution. Since then (…) our organisation has been subjected to unprecedented attacks,” said Lyudmyla Kozlovska. Bartosz Kramek talked about the circumstances of writing the article headed: “Let the State Come to a Stop: Let’s Shut Down the Government!” in an atmosphere of frustration and helplessness caused by the fact that the Polish ruling party, with a parliamentary majority and a president of the same political stripes, could afford to ignore the protests. “I don’t like feeling helpless, so I began to think what else could be done and whether protests alone were sufficient. I decided to include my ideas in a single article,” recalls Kramek.
To listen to the full interview, visit the website of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Read also:
- Information on the inclusion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska in the SIS database by Poland
- Poland uses SIS to prevent President of the Open Dialogue Foundation from entering the Schengen area
- The Lyudmyla Kozlovska Case timeline [updated]
See also:
- EUobserver: Poland accused of violating EU visa systems
- EUobserver: Poland abusing Schengen for political reasons
- Dr. Evelien Brouwer: Schengen Entry Bans for Political Reasons? The Case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights: Detention of the ODF President has been illegal
- Ombudsman intervenes on the issue of expulsion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- 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
- Ukrainian NGOs call for support for Lyudmyla Kozlovska
- Guy Verhofstadt: The Schengen visa ban on Lyudmyla Kozlovska must be withdrawn
- Andrzej Wielowieyski for Rzeczpospolita: The strike against the Open Dialogue Foundation is Russia’s success
- Freedom Square: The case of Lyudmyla Kozlovska is a test of our solidarity
- MEP Rebecca Harms shocked by the expulsion of the ODF President from the EU
- Wielowieyski and Święcicki defend the Open Dialogue Foundation. Polemic with Pełczyńska-Nałęcz
