Polish court convicts human rights activist for aiding abortion by providing pills

This was the first such condemnation in the country and in Europe, offering insight into the implications of a near-total ban on abortion.

A Polish court on Tuesday found a women's rights activist guilty of aiding an abortion by providing pills, the first such conviction in the country. country and across Europe, highlighting the growing risks for women in a country with the continent's toughest anti-abortion law.

Activist Justyna Wydrzynska, founder of the 'Abortion Dream Team, an organization that provides information on how to terminate a pregnancy safely, was sentenced to eight months of community service, but vowed to continue their work.

"I don't feel guilty at all," Ms. Wydrzynska said on Tuesday, surrounded dozens of people who had stood outside the court in Warsaw for hours in the rain to show their support. "I do not accept this verdict. I will continue to answer phone calls."

Ms. Wydrzynska said she would appeal the verdict. she helped never used the abortion pill and had a miscarriage, according to Ms. Wydrzynska.

The prosecutor had asked for 10 months of community service, claiming that her behavior shows, if not manifest, that she would do it again without hesitation."

Ms Wydrzynska had acted, the prosecutor said, "with direct intent", adding : "The degree of social harm should be assessed as significant, taking into account the violated good - life during the prenatal period."

The case in Poland offered insight into the implications of a near-total ban on abortion, and activists in the United States were watching the verdict closely. rsays abortion since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in 2022, the supply of drugs to terminate a pregnancy is governed by a patchwork of laws.

Last week in Texas, which banned abortions at all stages of pregnancy, except in life-threatening medical emergencies, a man has sued three women who he claims helped his ex-wife get abortion pills.

In Poland, where abortion had been legal for decades under communist rule, performing the procedure was banned in 1993 under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church, leaving exceptions for anomalies fetal injuries, rape, incest and when a woman's health or life is in danger.

Despite the exceptions, in practice the law constitutes a almost total ban because rape victims must obtain a special certificate from a prosecutor and many meds ecins fears breaking the law because of what many consider its ambiguous wording.

And while a woman cannot be prosecuted for having an abortion or getting pills abortion under the law, helping someone to terminate a pregnancy is illegal. This means the provider, not the woman, faces legal consequences, with a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.

The law has been further strengthened in 2021, removing the exception for fetal anomalies, despite the biggest protests in Poland's post-communist history. Since the ban was tightened, at least three women have died in Poland after doctors refused an abortion or delayed the procedure.

The legislation failed to several times in the Polish Parliament. but, in a trajectory that resembles the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Poland's highest court has declared abortions for fetal anomalies unconstitutional.

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