Published: 30.06.2013
During its 22nd Session in Istanbul on June 29th the Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly refused to include a project for Resolution 26 in the Plenary Session Agenda. The project, advancing the Yogyakarta Principles on human rights and sexual orientation, was rejected by a vote of 23 to 4. The debate was started by Senator Chris Smith on behalf of the US delegation and followed by speeches in support by Poland, Italy, Russia and Armenia.
Ms Barbara Bartuś, Head of the Polish Delegation, wrote a letter to the Ordo Iuris Law Centre expressing her gratitude to the OI Law Centre for informing her of the attempt to advance the LGBT agenda during the OSCE PA session and for providing her with a copy of its analysis demonstrating the way in which the Yogyakarta Principles are contrary to the Polish Constitution. She used the OI Law Centre’s arguments in her speech supporting Rep. Smith's position.
- According to polls, a majority of Poles support an increased legal availability of prenatal killing than the public has access to at present. This support fluctuates, however, depending on how a poll’s questions are formulated.
- Spanish authorities have banned public prayer, including the recitation of the rosary for the homeland. The decision is in response to mass protests by the population expressing opposition to the amnesty of Catalan separatists.
- States, by introducing legislation criminalising silent prayer, are violating the right to freedom of thought and conscience, which is a fundamental human right.
The Finnish Court of Appeal acquitted former Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, who was accused of hate speech. The charge concerned a post on the 'X' platform (formerly Twitter) containing a passage from Scripture criticising homosexual practices and quotes from a publication issued in 2004 on marriage and sexuality. The criminalisation of speech through legislation on an undefined concept such as 'hate speech' has the potential to restrict the right to freedom of expression and thus poses a serious threat to democracy.
· The District Court in Kraków has dismissed IKEA's appeal against a judgment ordering the reinstatement of Janusz Komenda, an employee dismissed for quoting the Bible.
· In December 2022. District Court in Kraków found that the dismissal was unlawful and ordered Janusz Komenda to be reinstated.
· The Court of Second Instance confirmed that the dismissal was unjustified.
© 2016 ORDO IURIS - Instytut Na Rzecz Kultury Prawnej
