Legal prohibitions on abortion serve no purpose except to deny women access to the healthcare they need and harm their health and wellbeing. Though she refused to openly state her view of Roe v. Wade during the hearings, there are encouraging signs that she is cut from a different cloth than those GOP-appointed justices who have repeatedly disappointed us in the past. Surfer Maya Gabeira on riding the biggest wave of the year. “Women’s human rights and access to reproductive health care are under siege in Poland. Poland, issued two weeks ago, the European Court of Human Rights rebuked Poland for failing to regulate and monitor the widespread use of personal and religious objection in relation to reproductive health care, which has devastating consequences for women's health. The move to further restrict abortion had been pursued by Poland's populist government for months, and has raised alarm among women's rights campaigners and human rights watchdogs. By extending protections to disabled preborn children, the Polish court has removed a serious contradiction within Polish law. 6 Nov 2020 He is available for interviews and bookings on behalf of HLI by emailing hli@hli.org. “I have said it many times and I have never concealed it, that abortion for so-called eugenic reasons should not be allowed in Poland. Poland’s highest court on Thursday banned abortions due to fetal defects, a ruling that further narrows reproductive rights in a country with some of the most conservative abortion laws in Europe. It took less than a year for this prophecy to come true. People around the world are sending messages of solidarity using the hashtags #BlackMonday, #CzarnyPoniedzialek, #CzarnyProtest and #StrajkKobiet. Fri Nov 13, 2020 - 10:20 am EST Abortion rights are once again under attack in Poland, and women have turned out in full force to fight back. Protestors prepare to take part in a car demonstration organized by Women's Strike against imposing further restrictions on abortion law in Poland. Abortio… This decision is logically, legally, and scientifically consistent, in a way that allowing eugenic abortions was not. Krakow, Poland on October 19th, 2020. AS protests in Poland continue against a near-total ban of abortion, women in Europe have taken to the streets to support the fight for women’s rights. Feminism , Health, Imperialism, Inequality Poland Newswire Abortion Rights. The truth, however, is that consistently applying the Polish Constitution’s provisions protecting the right to life to all human beings is the bare minimum for democracy to exist. I believed and believe that every child has a right to life.”. Official strikes are taking place in over 60 Polish cities. It is eye-opening to see furious crowds of young Polish people demanding the right to abort children simply because they are disabled. On 22 October, Poland’s constitutional court ruled to ban abortions in cases of congenital foetal defects, even if the foetus has no chance of survival. The move to further restrict abortion had been pursued by Poland's populist government for months, and has raised alarm among women's rights campaigners and human rights watchdogs. (Berlin) – The Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling to invalidate the constitutionality of access to abortion on the ground of “severe and irreversible fetal defect or incurable illness that threatens the fetus’ life” will further harm women and girls and violates their human rights, Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Human Rights Watch said today. Good news in the fight against the culture of death is all too rare. We must resist the temptation to let up our efforts even the slightest. Fri Nov 13, 2020 - 10:20 am EST On October 22, 2020, the Polish Constitutional Court, meeting in plenary session, rendered a historic decision declaring that eugenic abortion is contrary to the dignity and life of the human being, the respect of which is guaranteed by the Polish Constitution.. In a statement Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, welcomed the court’s decision. Poland's Constitutional court effectively banned abortion. He was ordained in 1993 as a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana. The final, and most encouraging lesson of Poland’s movement towards protecting every life, pre-born and born, is that it is possible for the momentum to turn against the culture of death. The only grounds for accessing an abortion in Poland will now be in the case of rape, incest, or if there is a threat to the mother’s life. Indeed, as HLI’s representatives in Poland – Lech and Ewa Kowalewski – recently emphasized, the impact of Poland’s pro-life victory extends far beyond Poland. Over the last four days, thousands of women have stormed the streets of Poland, protesting a recent court ruling that drastically restricts their right to access safe and legal abortions. 38 of Poland’s Constitution states that the Republic of Poland provides, “Right to legal protection of the life of every human being.” There is no way to read this provision in a way that does not include preborn children with disabilities. Poland already has abortion legislation that ignores women's right to self-determination. Posted Nov 10, 2020 by Eds. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic called it a “sad day for women’s rights”. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Welcoming two more in quick succession must have seemed overwhelming. “The European Commission and EU member states should urgently address breaches of rule of law and their impact on fundamental rights in Poland. Women in Poland have sustained attacks against their rights again and again and will not stop fighting for their right to abortion care. Earlier this year, pro-lifers gathered a staggering 830,000 signatures on a petition, demanding that the government end eugenic abortions. The Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling to invalidate the constitutionality of access to abortion on the ground of “severe and irreversible fetal defect or incurable illness that threatens the fetus’ life” (1) will further harm women and girls and violates their human rights, Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Human Rights Watch said today. Joint Statement issued by Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Human Rights Watch on Upcoming Session of the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland, Poland: Reject New Curbs on Abortion, Sex Ed, Polish Parliament Should Scrap Bill Against Sex Education, “The Breath of the Government on My Back”, Armenia: Unlawful Rocket, Missile Strikes on Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan: Unlawful Strikes in Nagorno-Karabakh, The Trump Administration’s Final Insult and Injury to Refugees, Human Rights Dimensions of COVID-19 Response. Women’s groups estimate that an additional 200,000 Polish women have abortions either illegally or abroad each year – Poland has some of Europe’s strictest abortion laws. Knowing that so many Polish people were standing with them must have given the justices at the Constitutional Tribunal the courage to do the right thing. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic called it a “sad day for women’s rights”. Under Polish law, abortion is only permitted to safeguard the life or health of women, or where the pregnancy results from rape. The remaining 1074 abortions were in cases of fetal abnormality, all performed on preborn children deemed “unfit” to live by doctors and their parents. 6 Nov 2020 It is one of only two of twenty-seven EU member states that do not allow abortion on request or on broad social grounds. Poland’s top court has ruled that a law allowing abortion of fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional. Of the 1100 legal abortions performed in Poland last year, twenty-six (26) abortions were done in cases of rape or incest. She said: "Removing the basis for almost all legal abortions in Poland amounts to a ban and violates human rights. Thousands of women in Poland are joining Black Protests to demonstrate against the newest radical anti-abortion law proposal. Shortly after being told that the adoption could go through – after initially being told that it wouldn’t – the couple learned they were pregnant. “But I thought, ‘what, what greater thing can you do than raise children? How to Defend Life Under a Biden Presidency, Defending Life after 100 Years of Legal Abortion, Our Job as Christians After the 2020 Election. On Oct. 22, the Constitutional Tribunal, Poland’s highest court, ruled that abortion in the case of severe fetal abnormalities was unconstitutional. M ore than 200 people met at San Francisco’s Rincon Park on Nov. 1 to show support for the protests in Poland against the government’s latest abortion restrictions. Poland's highest court ruled Thursday that abortions due to fetal defects were unconstitutional. Barrett’s prior pro-life statements and actions suggest that she is a woman of conviction. Ensuring women’s human rights, including their reproductive rights, is essential to upholding EU values. Finally, this Polish victory points to the great importance of having pro-life judges who truly grasp the basic truth of pro-life arguments. “Poland must act now to bring its law into line with other European Union member states and legalize abortion on a woman’s request or broad social grounds, and guarantee women’s full and effective access to care in situations where women’s physical or mental health is at risk.” Until 1932, abortion was banned in Poland without exceptions. In the first place, it exposes the deep deceptiveness of the pro-abortion strategy of focusing exclusively on the hard cases of rape and incest when pushing for abortion legalization. 'An authentic human right can never be a threat to the right to life,' pro-life campaigner Maria Madise told the Women’s Rights Conference in Poland this week. Poland’s Parliament should reject the Stop Abortion and Stop Pedophilia bills and uphold sexual and reproductive health and rights in accordance with international law. Meanwhile, police in Poland have used violent means against peaceful demonstrators, ... according to a human rights lawyer. Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Human Rights Watch voiced their opposition and stated their intention to send independent monitors to the court in Poland. Background Under Polish law, abortion is only permitted to safeguard the life or health of women, or where the pregnancy results from rape. Former European President and Poland’s former prime minister, Donald Tusk, criticized the timing of such key ruling during the difficult time of the pandemic. In response to the court’s ruling, thousands of Polish people have taken to the streets to protest. The Council of Europe’s legal advisory body, the Venice Commission, and the European Commission have censured the Polish government’s interference with the Tribunal. Carrying banners and placards — many bearing a red lightning bolt, a symbol of the pro-choice protests in the country — the demonstrators demand the reversal of the ruling by Poland’s highest court. The Barretts already had four children at home. In Poland, 98% of the abortions are done citing the anomalies. Police guarded the court’s building as groups of pro-abortion rights and anti-abortion activists gathered outside as the verdict was announced. WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Karolina Micula had used her bare chest in political protest once before. Activists have vowed to continue their fight against a ruling that amounts to a near-total ban on abortion. “Instead of safeguarding and protecting people’s rights, Poland’s Constitutional Court has contributed to violating them,” said Hillary Margolis, senior researcher on women’s rights at Human Rights Watch. Poland’s mass protests for abortion rights: ‘This is war’ A proposal to ban most terminations has triggered the largest rallies post-communism Poland has witnessed. Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Originally published: Red Flag by Jasmine Duff (November 9, 2020) | A mass movement in Poland has succeeded in delaying the implementation of a court decision that would ban nearly every abortion. Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. Art. Except during the German occupation during the Second World War, this law was in effect from 1932 to 1956. The court failed to reiterate this important lesson to the Polish government in the case of Z's daughter, even though it is … Opening the debate, European Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli said, “High-quality sexual and reproductive health services are essential to women and girls. “Women’s human rights and access to reproductive health care are under siege in Poland. This number will now definitely increase.” WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Karolina Micula had used her bare chest in political protest once before.When Poland’s right-wing government first tried to restrict abortion rights, the actress and singer delivered an intense performance onstage in Wroclaw in 2017 that included her spreading paint in the national colors — white and red — onto her breasts and face, ending with a fist raised high. Through prayer, fasting, and concerted ongoing pro-life action, we too may one day soon be in the same position as Poland’s pro-life activists – seeing our hard work paying dividends, and countless lives being saved from the great horror of legal abortion. In that year, the new Penal Code legalised abortion only when there were medical reasons and, for the first time in Europe, when the pregnancy resulted from a criminal act. Modern Day Eugenics: Who Lives and Who Dies? As HLI’s president, Fr. “Legal prohibitions on abortion do not prevent abortion or reduce the rates of abortion; they serve only to damage women’s health by pushing abortions underground or forcing women to travel to foreign countries to access abortion care they need and to which they have a right. The only grounds for accessing an abortion in Poland is now in the case of rape, incest, or if there is a threat to the mother’s life. Catholic Poland's constitutional court ruled that existing legislation which allows for the abortion of malformed foetuses was 'incompatible' with the protection of life. Prior to today’s ruling it was also legal in situations of “severe and irreversible fetal defect or incurable illness that threatens the fetus’ life.” Even in situations in which abortion is legal, multiple barriers combine to severely limit access to care in practice. News Women's rights protests block city streets over Poland's abortion law. Although all women may be affected by this cruel judgement, marginalized groups of women who cannot afford to travel will disproportionately suffer the consequences of the judges’ actions today.” Please give now to support our work. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, said that removing the basis for almost all legal abortions in Poland was tantamount to a ban and was a violation of human rights. Abortion in Poland is, as of 30 October 2020, legal only in cases of rape and incest, when the woman's life or health is at risk, or if the fetus is irreparably damaged.. When Poland’s right-wing government first tried to restrict abortion rights, ... What began as a revolt against an abortion ruling has become a larger struggle for democracy and human rights. Pro-lifers have been fighting for this day for decades. In its September 2020 rule of law report, the Commission noted that “concerns over the independence and legitimacy of the Constitutional Tribunal” remain unresolved. Poland In English/Telewizja Polska S. A. The tribunal’s president, Julia Przylebska, wrote in the decision that abortion in such cases amounts to “eugenic practices.” Since the Polish Constitution guarantees the right to life, she wrote, such abortions are “a directly forbidden form of discrimination.”. It is ironic to hear abortion activists now complaining about judicial activism. Art. This decision is logically, legally, and scientifically consistent, in a way that allowing eugenic abortions was not. But today, we have extremely good news from the homeland of the “pope of life,” St. John Paul II. Shenan J. Boquet has served as president of Human Life International since 2011. We must pray that our supposedly conservative Supreme Court justices, who now make up a majority of the court, will have the courage to do what previous Republican nominees have not done. Join our movement today. “This judgement is the result of a coordinated systematic wave of attacks on women’s human rights by Polish lawmakers, and represents their latest attempt to ban abortion in Poland,” said Esther Major, senior research adviser at Amnesty International. This is the so-called “compassion” of the pro-abortion worldview. By focusing on these cases, pro-abortion activists scandalously exploit the suffering of women victims to smuggle in abortion-on-demand. We stand with them every step of the way.” Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic called it a 'sad day for women's rights'. VIEW ǀ "We will not stop fighting for women’s fundamental rights - the right to legal and safe #abortion, the right to make decisions about our own bodies, our own lives." Women and girls’ rights are under attack right now in Poland. Legal prohibitions on abortion serve no purpose except to deny women access to the healthcare they need and harm their health and wellbeing. That’s where you have your greatest impact on the world.’”. ... Officially, the country recorded only 1,100 abortions last year. Poland’s mass protests for abortion rights: ‘This is war’ A proposal to ban most terminations has triggered the largest rallies post-communism Poland has witnessed. Poland abortion ban: Stripping women of their fundamental human rights The imposition of a near-total ban on abortion by the Polish Constitutional Court must elicit a strong reaction by the European Commission as Poland drifts ever further away from upholding EU values, writes Sylwia Spurek. In Nazi Germany, which included territories of Poland 1939–1945, the penalties for abortion were increased, especially for providing an abortion to an "Aryan" woman. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808. But the women's organisation Federa estimates that more than 100,000 Polish women have abortions every year - either in neighbouring countries or illegally, accepting health risks. Criminalizing the Christian View of Homosexuality. The court was quite right to emphasize the way eugenic abortions are a form of “discrimination” against the disabled. “Success in Poland is of great importance for the cause of defending life in the international dimension,” they said. In country after country around the world, the pro-abortion strategy has been deliberate to bypass democratic legislative procedures, and instead to concoct abortion-related cases to go before cherry-picked pro-abortion judges. The Polish situation is also instructive for the way it exposes the basic humanity and decency of the pro-life position, in contrast to the bigotry and extremism of the pro-abortion side. Instead, abortion-on-demand has been created by fiat by the decision of a small number of liberal justices. In reality, abortions in these cases – every one of them a tragedy and crime against innocent human life – make up a vanishingly small minority of abortions in most countries where abortion is legal. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Across Europe, demonstrations have gathered hundreds of women in solidarity with Polish women to denounce an infringement to abortion access, considered by the United Nations a fundamental human right. Only days ago, the U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. A women’s strike in currently underway in Poland in protest at a proposed amendment to their already restrictive abortion laws. ‘This is war’: fighting for abortion rights in Poland. Disabled preborn children are as human as healthy children. Watch: Thousands of women's rights activists gather to protest Poland's near abortion ban This week, we received a call from a woman who passed the phone to the man, who explained their situation. Women will keep protesting for the right to have safe abortions In some cases they entered Catholic churches, even disrupting Holy Mass. Just days ago, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal removed one of the few remaining exceptions to that country’s abortion law, ruling that abortions in cases of “fetal defect or incurable illness” constitute a violation of Poland’s Constitution. When Poland’s right-wing government first tried to restrict abortion rights, the actress and singer delivered an intense performance onstage in Wroclaw in 2017 that included her spreading paint in the national colors — white and red — onto her breasts and face, ending with a fist raised high. Indeed, pro-life activists in the U.S. should take heart. Poland already has the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union. The decision by the country’s Constitutional Court effectively bans terminating pregnancies in cases where birth defects are found and will further limit access to abortions in Poland. Abortions have been ruled unconstitutional by a top court in Poland. In a speech at Notre Dame last year, she recounted her reaction: “I walked up to the cemetery on campus and I just sat down on one of the benches and I just thought ‘okay, well if life’s really hard, at least it’s short,’” Barrett joked. The ruling sparked an immediate reaction. Poland already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. However, it is also important to remember that the Polish court’s decision did not happen in a vacuum. Poland: Abortion ban and regressive sexuality education laws must not be rushed through under cover of COVID-19 14 April 2020, 12:24 UTC. By Chris Mularczyk The decision by the Constitutional Court to outlaw ‘eugenic’ abortions is viewed by some as a legitimate interpretation of the constitution in a matter of conscience and by others as a fundamental issue of human rights … Poland: Abortion bans are a huge failure to women’s rights. Pro-abortion Poles are criticizing this court decision for being undemocratic. Human rights activists and groups across the world, including Amnesty International, have widely condemned the Polish court’s ruling, calling it an attack on women’s basic human rights. Abortions are already … How can a country claim to be democratic, when living citizens of that country are explicitly excluded from the most basic right of all? Such attempts have been met by mass public protests and condemnation by international human rights bodies and European institutions. In theory, we may now be within striking distance of seeing one of the most egregious instances of judicial overreach – Roe v. Wade – overturned. This is what happened in the United States, with the result that tens of millions of preborn children having been aborted, that is murdered. 'An authentic human right can never be a threat to the right to life,' pro-life campaigner Maria Madise told the Women’s Rights Conference in Poland this week. Poland’s flagrant disregard for these values is dangerous not only for women and girls in Poland, but throughout Europe. Boquet collaborates with fellow laborers in the pro-life and family movement in over 80 countries, offering the Sacraments, giving seminars and trainings, appearing on numerous media outlets, and encouraging people of all walks of life to live as faithful advocates for a Culture of Life and Love. I can only imagine his joy at seeing his homeland putting into practice the pro-life principles he championed in so many documents and speeches. Poland already has some of the European Union’s most stringent restrictions on abortion. One of my favorite stories about Justice Barrett is what happened when she and her husband were trying to adopt a second child from Haiti in 2009. In 2017, the European Commission launched proceedings against Poland under Article 7(1) TEU in 2017 due to breaches of rule of law, including concerns related to the lack of an independent and legitimate constitutional review. Abortion is only allowed if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, if the woman’s life is in danger or in cases of severe or fatal foetal impairment. In country after country, the people have had no say in abortion law. Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Human Rights Watch sent independent expert monitors to observe the hearing of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and to analyze the decision. “Today’s judgement puts the health and lives of women in Poland at great risk and violates Poland’s obligations under international human rights treaties to refrain from retrogressive measures that roll back women’s rights to sexual and reproductive health care,” said Leah Hoctor, regional director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Here in the United States, we too must show our pro-life justices – or those who are undecided – that if they stand for life, we will have their backs. Against imposing further restrictions on abortion law in Poland have sustained attacks against their rights again and and... Furious crowds of young Polish people demanding the right to abortion care that amounts to a rights! 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