Poland: International institutions must protect LGBTI citizens and ensure the immediate release of activists

After nearly 2 years of mounting pressure, things came to a boiling point yesterday, August 7, in Warsaw. A spontaneous protest related to the “preventative detention” of an LGBTI activist, Margot Szutowicz, resulted in 48 arrests and extensive police brutality last night. More protests, and more arrests, are expected today as the repression of LGBTI people goes unabated.

The hate campaign against the LGBTI community in Poland has been going on since October 2018 and resulted in LGBTI people becoming a dominant issue during this year’s presidential elections, in which President Duda degraded and scapegoated the LGBTI community on his way to election victory. This included claims that LGBT “are not people, but ideology” and other attempts at dehumanisation and incitement of hate and fear. Over 100 local governments adopted resolutions calling their territories “LGBT-free zones”Trucks with homophobic banners and audio claiming a link between homosexuality and pedophilia begun driving in public spaces, in some cases stopped and blocked by LGBT activists and allied citizens outraged by the sharing of hateful messages. In one case an altercation ensued and one of the vehicles was damaged. This was followed by repeated covert arrests of LGBT activists by plain clothes police officers in unmarked cars, which creates a climate of fear and state harassment. 

Just a few days ago, an action of decorating monuments with rainbow flags and face masks was organised, which was followed by another series of covert arrests. One of the persons arrested, Margot Szutowicz, received an order for a 2 month detention to prevent her from further action. This sparked a spontaneous solidarity demonstration, during which Margot attempted to surrender to the police officers present. Their refusal to detain her among witnesses and media, and the fact she was later detained in a different location by plainclothes officer in an unmarked car, led to further civil unrest. 48 individuals were arrested and refused access to lawyers. Margot, who is non-binary and uses female pronouns, will be detained in a men’s facility. 

Björn van Roozendaal, Programmes Director at ILGA-Europe, says: “The LGBTI community is being denied the right to exist by the leading political party. LGBTI people in Poland live in a situation of constant, repressive pressure with no access to justice or State protection. In circumstances like these, where marginalised members of society are being attacked from all sides, protest and activism are inevitable, and may even be considered provoked by the government’s failure to protect their fundamental rights and disproportionate law enforcement responses. Let us not forget this is happening in an EU country where the human rights of all citizens are deeply rooted in law.”

We are calling international human rights institutions, including the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations, to raise their voices against police violence and arbitrary detention, and to demand that the rule of law be followed and fundamental rights protected for LGBTI people in Poland.


Campaign Against Homophobia (Kampania Przeciw Homofobii), an ILGA-Europe member organisation from Poland, is calling upon the state and international authorities to summon the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw to revoke Margot’s pre-trial arrest warrant:

And upon the Polish police to immediately release those detained during yesterday’s demonstrations:


Updates (last updated on August 28):

  • August 8-9: The ombudsperson visited all detainees.
  • August 13: Margot Szutowicz had access to a lawyer.
  • August 15: Police intervene when LGBTI activists try to stop a van with homophobic slogans from driving around Warsaw. Police forcefully remove activists and create a corridor of protection for the van with their bodies.
  • August 16: Anti-LGBT march in Warsaw received police protection. LGBTI activists painted their route in rainbow colours, and held a counter-demonstration.
  • August 28: Margot Szutowicz released from pre-trial detention

Further information:


For further comment, contact: 

See also

Blog

Banning Pride is a fundamental threat to democracy: Why the EU cannot look away from Hungary

As Hungary becomes the first EU country to ban and criminalise a Pride march, the European Commission’s failure to respond signals a deeper crisis for […]
read more
News

Joint letter: Urgent European Commission action needed to defend the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Assembly in Hungary

The following letter was sent to President Ursula von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner Michael McGrath, and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib of the European […]
read more
News

UN and EU condemn growing crackdown on LGBTI rights and human rights defenders in Belarus.

The United Nations has condemned increasing violence, discrimination, and hate speech targeting LGBTI people in Belarus, while the European Union has raised the alarm over […]
read more
News

CJEU Advocate General: Member States Must Recognise Same-Sex Marriages from Other EU Countries

An opinion from the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General states that Member States must recognise same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries to ensure […]
read more
Blog

Freedom to Protest Is Under Attack – Why It Matters for Everyone

When states suppress public protests, they don’t just target activists, they erode the rights of all citizens. The latest crackdowns in Hungary, Turkey, and beyond […]
read more
News

Hungary’s Parliament Passes Law Banning Pride

In an attack on freedom of assembly, Hungary’s Parliament has passed a controversial law criminalising Pride marches and allowing the use of facial recognition technology […]
read more
News

Statement: Orbán’s threat to ban LGBTI Pride marks a dangerous step toward silencing dissent

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s threat to ban the 2025 Budapest Pride march has sparked outrage, with concerns over restrictions linked to the country’s anti-LGBTI […]
read more
News

European court rules teacher’s dismissal over gay blog violated free speech

The European Court of Human Rights rendered a judgement in a case where the Polish authorities fired a school teacher for writing on a blog […]
read more
News

ILGA-Europe Statement: Turkey is detaining LGBTI+ activists and journalists, and targeting basic rights

The Turkish government has intensified its repression of LGBTI+ human rights defenders, detaining activists and introducing draconian laws that further restrict legal gender recognition, trans […]
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2025 Rule of Law report

After a year of elections across the EU, threats to democracy and the rule of law are growing both in Europe and globally. Our submission […]
read more
News

Russia failed to respond adequately to politician’s homophobic verbal assault, European Court finds

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Russia’s failure to respond adequately to homophobic verbal assault and physical threats by a politician against […]
read more
Blog

LGBTI rights are human rights

On Human Rights Day we reflect on struggles and milestones for the European and Central Asian LGBTI movement in 2024. Human Rights Day reminds us […]
read more
News

New regulations pose greater risks to trans people in Turkey

New changes from the Turkish authorities to the accessibility of hormones for trans people further threaten health and lives On 20 November, the Turkish Medicines […]
read more
News

Top European Court holds hearing on Polish refusal to recognise same-sex marriage certificate

Case could establish critical precedent for the freedom of movement of same-sex couples within the EU Yesterday, the Court of Justice of the European Union […]
read more
Podcast

The Frontline: LGBTI activism: Courage to seek new strategies

This summer in Bulgaria, as two new anti-LGBTI laws were fast-tracked in advance of forthcoming elections, a cross movement effort came together to try and […]
read more
News

Joint statement: Welcoming European Court judgement on Poland’s failure to protect same-sex couples married abroad

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Poland breached the right to respect for the family life of two same-sex Polish couples married […]
read more
Blog

LGBTI activism in the new far-right era

Activists in the Balkans, Greece, Italy and Poland talk about the shared challenges across Europe as the far-right continues to gain ground. As the far-right […]
read more
Blog

The Turkish LGBTI+ community resists bans on Pride events again this year, amid increased repression from the Turkish government

Amid increased repression from the government, the Turkish LGBTI+ community courageously and creatively resists bans on Pride events again this year This year’s Pride season […]
read more
News

Trans woman should have been allowed access to hormone therapy in prison, says European Court

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Poland violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting the right to private […]
read more
News

Statement in solidarity with the LGBTI movement in Kazakhstan

ILGA-Europe stands with Kazakhstan’s LGBTI Community amid Russia-style attempts to criminalise LGBTI people and their human rights ILGA-Europe express solidarity with the LGBTI community in […]
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2024 Rule of Law report

Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that many government-led violations of LGBTI rights in EU Member States go hand-in-hand with an […]
read more
News

Poland must ensure that same-sex couples are legally recognised, European Court rules

The European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgement against Poland in a case taken by five same-sex couples in the country, seeking to […]
read more
News

Significant European Court judgments in two cases concerning violence against LGBTI people involving state agents

Two successful European Court cases brought against Russia underline state obligations to protect LGBTI community from violent counter demonstrators and general hate motivated violence.
read more
Blog

What we can learn from LGBTI activists against all odds

In countries where governments are pushing back on LGBTI people's rights, joining Pride events is a courageous act that carries higher risks. However, it is in their invisible, everyday work where LGBTI activists showcase their most profound courage. The LGBTI movement in Turkey, as well as in Armenia and Azerbaijan, serve as remarkable examples of resilience against all odds.
read more
News

Statement: Kyrgyzstan targets LGBTI communities in a new law

ILGA-Europe expresses solidarity and stands with LGBTI organisations and communities in Kyrgyzstan as the country’s President signed into law a discriminatory provision banning dissemination of information about LGBTI people, rights, and identities among minors.
read more
Blog

How attacks on Pride are jeopardising Turkey’s hopes for accession to the EU

After the detention of 241 individuals at 11 Pride events this summer, the Turkish government must understand that respecting the rule of law and fundamental rights, including those of LGBTI people, is a precondition for becoming an EU member state.
read more
Blog

Monitoring Pride in Turkey 2023

A month after the Turkish elections, for which the winner, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan scapegoated LGBTI people, activists and allies have been rallying at Pride marches across the country. In this blog, we present an up-to-date account of the latest events, as reported by LGBTI activists on the ground in Turkey.
read more
News

Bringing change in turbulent times: A call for applications for LGBTI groups in Poland

What is this programme about and why are we launching it? ILGA-Europe invites applications from LGBTI organisations and groups in Poland that see a concrete […]
read more
Blog

The 5 largest attacks on the fundamental rights of LGBTI people in the EU last year

In our submission to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report, we’ve identified key trends in the systematic attacks on the rights of LGBTI […]
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2023 Rule of Law report

The submission covers developments in eight EU Member States as regards rule of law developments in the countries which have had an impact on the […]
read more