Polish court hears defamation case brought by Kaczynski
Sep 5, 2022, 2:52 PM | Updated: Sep 6, 2022, 8:47 am
A closed court session broadcasts live on a monitor in a district court in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. A court in Warsaw has opened proceedings in a defamation case brought by Poland's most powerful politician, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, against the journalist who publicly alleges the leader of the country's ruling party is gay. Kaczynski is demanding an apology and a retraction from journalist Jan Pinski. (AP Photo/Michal Dyjuk)
(AP Photo/Michal Dyjuk)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A court in Warsaw on Tuesday opened proceedings in a defamation case brought by Poland’s most powerful politician, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, against a journalist who publicly alleges the leader is gay.
Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, was not present in the capital city’s District Court, but was represented by his lawyers.
The court heard from journalist and YouTuber Jan Pinski who repeated his previous allegations. The court decided it will not hear witnesses in the case, which it adjourned indefinitely.
Kaczynski is demanding an apology and a retraction from Pinski, who made the allegations on his channel last year. He claimed that hiding his sexuality leaves Kaczynski, a 73-year-old bachelor, open to blackmail.
Kaczynski and the government run by his party have adopted a conservative and hostile approach to the LGBTQ community in Poland, and refused to allow same-sex marriage.
Kaczynski is also demanding that Pinski pay 10,000 zlotys ($2,000) to a hospice.
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