Conviction for torching Jew effigy

On 21 November, the District Court for Wrocław-Śródmieście entered a judgment in the case that involved the public burning of a Jewish effigy at the Wrocław Market Square in November 2015. The incident happened during an anti-immigration protest organised by the far-right organisations National-Radical Camp and All-Polish Youth.

The perpetrator of the burning was sentenced to a prison term of ten months. The court ruled that he had committed an offence of inciting hatred based on national differences.

Already in November 2015, the HFHR sent a letter to Wrocław’s branch of the Prosecution Service, noting that the case should be investigated as a potential hate crime punishable under article 256 and 257 of the Criminal Code.

“The Foundation has repeatedly called for the justice system’s firm response to hate crimes based on national, ethnic or religious differences. Even more importantly, the judgment of the Wrocław court is crucial in the context of downplaying the scale of hate crimes and the harm they present to society”, says Dr Dorota Pudzianowska, a member of the Foundation’s legal team.

The case was included in the HFHR’s “Article 32” anti-discrimination programme.