On October 22, the Polish Constitutional Court, which is suspected of bias, decided to tighten abortion law and de facto banned abortions.
“The Polish government is disenfranchising and disempowering women in an existentially important area of life and then leaving them alone with the often difficult or even unmanageable health, psychosocial and financial problems that arise from being forced to carry pregnancies to term,” said Hedwig Toth-Schmitz, board member of the HVD Bundesverband. And board spokesman Erwin Kress explained: “It is the style of an authoritarian regime when democratic opinion-forming is prevented and the rights of minorities are overridden by cheap tricks. The Humanist Association of Germany strongly condemns such actions and stands on the side of the truly democratic forces in our neighboring country.”
In the days following the decision, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Poland. However, the police and far-right groups used and continue to use excessive force against the demonstrators. We condemn this disproportionate use of force and are concerned about the deteriorating situation of the rule of law and human rights in the country. Together with other organizations, we have therefore written an open letter to the German government.
