CASE OF DOROTA KANIA v. POLAND (No. 2)
No violation of Article 10 - Freedom of expression -{General} (Article 10-1 - Freedom of expression)
András Sajó;Egidijus Kūris;Krzysztof Wojtyczek;Marko Bošnjak;Nona Tsotsoria;Paulo Pinto De Albuquerque;Vincent A. De Gaetano
5. The applicant was born in 1963 and lives in Warsaw. 6. On 30 March 2007 the applicant, who was at that time a journalist of the weekly magazine Wprost, contacted A.C., the then rector of the University of Gdańsk, in order to inform him that she considered him to be a long-term informant for the communist secret services in the past. She did not refer to any relevant documentary evidence in her possession. 7. On 2 April 2007 the applicant published an article in Wprost entitled “Agents Wearing Ermine”, alleging that during the communist times A.C. had been an informant for the communist secret police. The article had the subheading “Leaders of university anti-vetting revolt collaborated with communist secret services”. A photo showing A.C. in the course of his official duties alongside the article had the caption: “A.C., rector of the University of Gdańsk, used to be an informant for the communist secret services under the name Lek”. The article did not quote its sources, referring in general terms to unspecified documents. 8. The article was also published on the magazine’s website (www.wprost.pl), where it was available until 8 April 2007. 9. On 9 May 2007 the applicant obtained consent from the President of the Institute of National Remembrance (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej –“the IPN”) to access its files. The IPN’s tasks included, inter alia, storing and researching documents of the communist security services. On 10 May 2007 the applicant checked its files registered as Virginia no. 23461, IPN Gd 003/190. 10. On an unspecified date A. C. informed the prosecution authorities that he had been libelled by the author of the article. On 10 May 2007 the Regional Prosecutor in Warsaw refused to institute a criminal investigation and informed A.C. that the offence alleged could only be prosecuted by way of private prosecution. 11. A.C.’s lawyer requested Wprost to publish an apology rectifying the allegations against him and his reply to them. On 15 May 2007 the magazine refused to do so. 12. On 14 May 2007 the magazine published an article written by the applicant (but signed R.P.) entitled “The Party of Fear”. It was available on the magazine’s website until 20 May 2007. Its main thrust was that highsociety former informants opposed amendments to vetting legislation introduced in 2006 (see paragraphs 36 below) for fear that their past would come to light. It referred to A.C. as a former informant and contained his photo as rector of the University of Gdańsk. 13. On 15 May 2007 the Media Ethics Council (Rada Etyki Mediów), a body composed mainly of media representatives designated to observe whether journalists followed the applicable rules of professional ethics, sent a letter to the applicant. It criticised the articles in so far as they alleged A.C.’s involvement with the communist secret services, saying that the arguments presented by the applicant in the articles were not sufficiently convincing. It also criticised the applicant for her failure to refer to the precise sources of her allegations. It further referred to a previous public plea to the media requesting them to deal with allegations of collaboration with the communist secret services with the utmost diligence, seriousness and caution, so as not to cause detriment to anyone and to avoid a sensationalist approach to a very serious issue. It recommended that only thoughtful discussion should be held about themes of such importance as collaboration with the secret services and the manner in which vetting legislation should be applied, commensurate with the gravity of the issues involved. 14. On 12 August 2007 the same magazine published an article “New Documents about the Chancellor – Informant”. It was available on the magazine’s website until 19 August 2007. Its thrust was also that A.C. was a former informant. The article did not quote its sources and merely referred generally to unspecified documents. A photo of A.C. was again published alongside it. 15. On 14 August 2007 A.C. brought a private bill of indictment against the applicant and S.J., the editor-in-chief of the magazine at that time. It was argued that they had libelled him by publishing the articles and by disseminating untrue information alleging secret and conscious collaboration with the communist secret services. It was submitted that this publication could discredit him in the eyes of the public and result in him losing the confidence necessary to perform his duties as a public university rector, a criminal offence punishable under Article 212 of the Criminal Code. 16. Criminal proceedings were instituted against the applicant and S.J., but were subsequently stayed in May 2010 to obtain information about the result of the vetting process (procedura lustracyjna) in respect of A.C. which was pending at the time. 17. At a hearing on 15 March 2011 in the latter proceedings, the Gdańsk Regional Court held, referring to documents stored by the IPN, that A.C. had made a true vetting statement to the effect that he had not been an informant for the communist secret services. The court established that he had been registered as such, but without his consent or knowledge. It further noted that on 15 April 2003 A.C. had obtained the security certificate issued by the Internal Security Agency guaranteeing him access to classified information. He had therefore already been positively vetted for integrity by the authorities of a democratic State prior to the judgment. 18. The Gdańsk Court of Appeal upheld the first-instance judgment on 7 July 2011. 19. On 11 October 2011 the criminal proceedings against the applicant were resumed. 20. On 15 February 2012 the Warsaw District Court held that the applicant and editor were guilty of libel under Article 212 § 2 of the Criminal Code. 21. The court found that the plaintiff had been working at the University of Gdańsk since 1974. He had been questioned by the communist secret police on several occasions before 1989, when the communist system in Poland had collapsed. The applicant had contacted him, apparently by telephone, prior to publication of the first article of 2 April 2007 claiming to know that he had been an informant. She had neither informed him about any IPN documents on which she would be basing her allegations nor sought to meet him in person. 22. The applicant stated before the court that she had written the articles motivated by the public interest. A.C. was a well-known personality and society should be made aware of persons in positions of responsibility who were former informants for the communist secret police. 23. The court considered that while before it the applicant had referred to IPN documents, neither the documents she had submitted originating from these files nor the full file obtained by the court had supported the conclusion that A.C. had been an informant. Certain documents did not refer to him at all, while others did not indicate that he had been an informant. He had never declared willingness to become one. The court referred to a document in the IPN’s files which noted his reluctance to be involved with the services when urged by them to turn into an informant. In these files he was only referred to as being on the staff of the university in the 1970s. They also demonstrated that he had been questioned by the communist services after coming back to Poland following a scholarship in the United States. 24. The court concluded that the documents it had before it in evidence were manifestly insufficient to hold that the plaintiff had been an informant. 25. In the light of the documents available, the thesis advanced by the applicant was not only devoid of factual basis, but also incompatible with her obligation to show proper journalistic diligence. She had only obtained access to the full set of IPN files concerning A.C. after her first article had been published. She had only received a decision from the director of the IPN allowing her to access the documents on 9 May 2007, after the article had been published and created a considerable media stir. She had failed to contact A.C. prior to the publication to try to check the veracity of the information, apart from her telephone call to him whereby she had only informed him that she would be publishing the article. 26. The Warsaw District Court concluded that the applicant had failed to show the journalistic diligence required of her under section 12 of the 1984 Press Act. The impugned articles contained unreliable information, which she had assessed in a superficial manner. Being an informant for the communist secret police was perceived in society in an extremely negative manner. It was therefore not open to doubt that allegations made by the applicant could stigmatise A.C. and undermine public confidence in his capacity to hold office within the meaning of Article 212 of the Criminal Code. The mere fact that the court had gathered more material relevant to establishing the facts concerning A.C.’s past than the applicant had had at her disposal prior to the publication of the impugned articles demonstrated that she had formulated her allegations without a sound factual basis. In the light of that material, it had to be concluded that the statements made in the article were untrue, or at least unfounded. 27. The court referred to the Court’s case-law on Article 10 of the Convention on freedom of the press. It noted that that freedom carried duties and responsibilities on the part of journalists. It was limited by the criterion of truthfulness on the one hand, and the necessity to protect important values such as dignity, reputation, honour and the private life of individuals on the other. In the present case, the applicant had not had sufficient knowledge at her disposal to support the factual thesis she had advanced in the articles. She had therefore overstepped the limits of acceptable criticism, defamed the plaintiff and thereby committed a criminal offence. 28. The court imposed fines on the applicant and her co-defendant, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. It determined the amount of the applicant’s fine at 3,000 Polish zlotys (PLN - approximately 750 euros (EUR)) and ordered her to pay PLN 2,500 (approximately 625 EUR) to charity. The court observed that the amount of the fine had been determined with regard to the degree of the applicant’s guilt. The publication of the articles had been her idea and she had written them. However, the fine imposed on her was lower than that imposed on the editor, regard being had to the fact that her income was lower than his. The court further noted that the plaintiff had demanded that a custodial sentence be imposed on the applicant. However, the court was of the view that a non-custodial sentence was sufficient in the circumstances, commensurate with the gravity of the offence. It further ordered that the judgment be made public, having regard to a request submitted by the plaintiff and Article 215 of the Criminal Code, which obliged the court to allow such requests in cases involving convictions based on Article 212 of that Code. 29. The applicant and her co-accused appealed, raising many procedural arguments. 30. On 26 September 2012 the Warsaw Regional Court upheld the judgment, essentially sharing the findings and views of the first-instance court. The defendants’ appeals were considered by the court to be unfounded. The court ordered the applicant to pay PLN 300 (approximately EUR 85) in costs to the State Treasury. It further ordered her and her coaccused to pay jointly the plaintiff’s costs before the appellate court, amounting to PLN 3,100 (approximately EUR 775).