The Norwegian authorities have violated international consular law

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The Norwegian authorities accuse the Polish consul of "aggressively obstructing the work of officials and disobedience to the police". Meanwhile, according to the recording we have published for the first time, it was the Norwegian officials and police officers, who violated the international law, making it impossible for the consul to contact an underage Polish citizen.

Sign the petition in defense of the Polish consul

The Norwegian authorities decided to expel the Polish consul Dr. Sławomir Kowalski, who has been effectively supporting Polish families for five years against the oppressive actions by the Norwegian Children's Office - Barnevernet. Dr. Sławomir Kowalski had already experience a hostile attitude from the Norwegian authorities. We are publishing a video, which documents the interrupted consular intervention, during which Barnevernet officials and the Norwegian Police prevented Consul Kowalski from meeting a Polish citizen, a child taken away from Polish parents, and then removed him from the office.

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations defines the rights a consul enjoys while on the mission to 'protect the citizens of the sending State' and to 'assist and support them', with a particular reference to the protection of minors. According to the provisions of the Convention, a consul has an absolute right to communicate with his compatriots, including even prisoners and detainees. The Convention also guarantees the consul's personal integrity. Without a judicial approval, the police is in no manner entitled to infringe upon it, thus hindering the exercise of consular functions.

In view of the above, the registered activities of the Norwegian Police should be regarded as a serious infringement of consular law.

"We are dealing with a serious misconduct by the Norwegian Police and Barnevernet officials. It is a direct violation of the consul's status guaranteed by the international law, of his right to communicate with Polish citizens and of his personal immunity. Despite being aware of the event and its importance, the Norwegian authorities still demand that the Polish consul be removed from the post, accusing him of "aggressive obstruction of the officials' work and disobedience to the police". The situation is an unprecedented provocation." - concludes attorney Jerzy Kwaśniewski, Chairman of Ordo Iuris and the initiator of the petition „Stańmy murem za konsulem”.