Polish Police Cordon Court After Tribunal President's Suspension
President Karol Nawrocki canceled a trip to Senegal as police secured the Constitutional Tribunal following the suspension of its acting president.
Polish riot police cordoned off the Constitutional Tribunal headquarters in Warsaw on Friday after Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska issued an order suspending the court's acting president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and acting vice president, Bartłomiej Sochański. The move sparked protests by supporters of the Law and Justice party, some of whom breached the tribunal's fence and threw objects at officers, resulting in three detentions.
Karol Nawrocki, the President of Poland, abruptly rerouted his flight back to Poland while en route to Senegal in response to the escalating crisis. The suspension is the latest flashpoint in a long-running dispute over judicial appointments; President Nawrocki previously refused to swear in several parliamentary-nominated judges, while Święczkowski had blocked judges elected by the current majority from taking office.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the intervention as a necessary step to restore the rule of law after years of lawlessness. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek requested the removal of legal immunity for Święczkowski and Sochański to pursue criminal charges for blocking judges. The Constitutional Tribunal rejected the suspension, labeling the action a "coup d'état" and claiming its website suffered an illegal takeover.
