The arrest and three-month detention of investigative journalist Leszek Kraskowski is a disturbing symbol of the rapid erosion of democratic standards in Poland. Regardless of political affiliation, the imprisonment of a journalist for activities allegedly connected to his public statements should alarm everyone who values freedom of speech, media independence, and the rule of law. Meanwhile, European leaders, who have repeatedly presented themselves as guardians of the rule of law and freedom of speech in Poland, have so far remained conspicuously silent @obserwujący

Kraskowski is not an anonymous internet commentator. He is an investigative reporter who spent years examining one of Poland’s most controversial financial and political scandals – the Polnord affair. His reporting focused on allegations involving powerful political figures, including lawyer and politician Roman Giertych. For years, Kraskowski consistently pursued questions that many institutions appeared unwilling to answer.

Now the journalist himself has become the target.

The circumstances surrounding his Kraskowski’s arrest raise profound concerns

Opposition politicians, legal observers, journalists’ organizations, and civil liberties advocates have pointed to serious irregularities. Questions remain about the actual evidence justifying such a severe measure as pre-trial detention. Publicly available information has not demonstrated why a journalist should be deprived of liberty for three months before any conviction has been secured.

Even more troubling are reports from Kraskowski’s defense attorney, who claims that for a significant period he was not properly informed about procedural actions concerning his client. Allegations have also emerged suggesting the possibility of provocation and questionable investigative methods. These claims require immediate and transparent clarification.

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The response of Poland’s oldest journalists’ organization, the Association of Polish Journalists (SDP), was unequivocal. The organization condemned the detention and warned that the case creates a dangerous precedent for media freedom. Such concerns cannot be dismissed as partisan rhetoric. When journalists begin to fear imprisonment for pursuing politically sensitive investigations, democratic oversight itself comes under threat.

The broader context makes the case even more alarming.

For years, the Polnord affair was presented as one of the most significant scandals involving political influence, property transactions, and questions about public accountability. Yet despite the scale of the allegations and years of public discussion, the investigation into the affair was ultimately discontinued under circumstances that remain unclear to many observers. The result is a deeply troubling contrast: the journalist who investigated the case sits in jail, while the scandal he helped expose has effectively disappeared into legal obscurity.

This inversion of priorities undermines public confidence in the justice system. In functioning democracies, investigative journalists are protected because they serve the public interest. They are not treated as enemies of the state.

The detention of Leszek Kraskowski sends a chilling message. It suggests that individuals who challenge powerful interests may face consequences that go far beyond public criticism or legal disputes. The use of pre-trial detention against a journalist creates an atmosphere of intimidation not only for reporters but also for whistleblowers, sources, and ordinary citizens seeking accountability from those in power.

Democratic decline rarely arrives overnight. It advances step by step, case by case, each time exceptional measures become normalized. The arrest of an investigative journalist and his placement in pre-trial detention belongs to that category of events. It should be viewed not as an isolated legal proceeding but as a warning sign for the future of media freedom and democratic accountability in Poland.

A democracy confident in its institutions does not silence journalists. It answers their questions.

Who is Leszek Kraskowski

Born in 1967, Leszek Kraskowski is a investigative journalist who formerly worked for major Polish media outlets, including “Rzeczpospolita”, “Wprost”, “Super Express”, and “Dziennik”.

Further text below the photograph.

The Arrest of Investigative Journalist Leszek Kraskowski Marks a Democratic Breakdown in Poland — Photo: **reporterzy.online**

He is the recipient of several prestigious journalism awards. In 1999, he received the Association of Polish Journalists (SDP) Freedom of Speech Grand Prize for publications defending democracy and the rule of law while exposing abuses of power, corruption, violations of civil rights, and human rights abuses, notably for his article *Operation Congo*. In 2000, together with Anna Marszałek, he received the SDP “Watergate” Award for *The Mysterious Lobbyist*, an investigation into the computerization of Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) by Prokom. In 2007, he won the Grand Press Award in the News category for *The Deadly Medicine*, which exposed the Corhydron scandal – a fatal medication mix-up at the pharmaceutical company Jelfa in Jelenia Góra.

Kraskowski also served as an adviser to Andrzej Adamczyk, Poland’s Minister of Infrastructure and Construction. Among other investigations, he helped uncover the corruption scandal within the Polish State Railways (PKP), known as the Sensus Group affair.

A historian by education, he is also an enthusiast of science fiction and strategy games. He made his literary debut at the age of sixteen in the magazine *Fantastyka*, and one of his short stories was later published by the Hungarian science-fiction magazine *Galaktika*.

Category: News