Brejza vs. Kaczyński. Lawyer of the PiS president: Attractive game to hunt

MEP Krzysztof Brejza (KO) was questioned on Tuesday in the Warsaw district court at a hearing regarding a private indictment he filed against Jarosław Kaczyński. This is about the PiS president's words about “disgusting crimes” referring to Brejza.

The next court hearing in this case will be on January 13 or March 3.

The PiS president did not appear at Tuesday's hearing at the District Court for Warsaw-Śródmieście. Only his defense attorney, Bogusław Kosmus, was present. The hearing, presided over by Judge Tomasz Trębicki, took place without the possibility of being recorded by the media in audio and video form.

The case brought by the private prosecution of KO MEP Krzysztof Brejza concerns the words of the PiS president during the meeting of the parliamentary investigative committee on Pegasus in March last year. The PiS leader then said about Brejza: “A significant opposition politician commits very serious and disgusting crimes.”. Due to the private indictment filed by Brejza, the Sejm in March revoked Kaczyński's immunity.

During the court session, Krzysztof Brejza was questioned as the injured party. As he said, PiS president's words were “brutal defamation”. He added that the “hate campaign” that Jarosław Kaczyński is conducting against him – which included the above-mentioned words – affects his image in a “devastating” way. As he noted, regardless of the outcome of the ongoing trial, in the eyes of some public opinion he will remain a “bandit and a thief.”

During the hearing, the MEP also said that the PiS president had already used statements similar to those in this case towards him. He also emphasized that the PiS president is a media influential person and his words have a significant resonance.

Jarosław Kaczyński's defense attorney stated that the PiS president is an “attractive game to hunt.” He said he was “accused of nothing”. In his position presented during the hearing, he said that during the March hearing before the Pegasus investigative commission, the PiS president answered questions and that his words – which are covered by the indictment – were “forced” by the questioning MPs. As he noted, he had fulfilled “his legal obligation in good faith.” According to attorney Kosmus, the trial therefore concerns what a witness testifying before a parliamentary investigative committee is allowed to do.

After the court session, Brejza said in a conversation with journalists that the explanation that Jarosław Kaczyński was allegedly forced by MPs to defame was “completely absurd”.

The MEP's representative, Dorota Brejza, said that she did not agree with Mr. Kosmus's assessment of the substance of the case. – This is a trial about the truth, this is a trial about the limits of freedom of speech, this is a trial about the fact that you cannot lie in public space, you cannot slander anyone, she said. She added that she and the MEP were very pleased with the progress of the trial and the fact that thanks to it “the public has the right and opportunity to learn the truth about Pegasus surveillance.”

Mec. Kosmus did not comment on the meeting to journalists.

Both the prosecution and the defense submitted new evidence requests during the hearing; Attorney Brejza also requested that some of the defense's motions be dismissed.

Jarosław Kaczyński, who testified in court on November 4, explained that his statement about Krzysztof Brejza, in which he spoke about “disgusting crimes”, resulted from his obligation to provide the Pegasus investigative commission with all his knowledge.

The next court hearing in this case will be held on January 13 or March 3. As the judge explained, the date of the next hearing depends on the decision the court will make regarding the evidence requests submitted by the parties.

It is possible that the matter will be concluded at the next meeting. (PAP)

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