The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has taken up complaints against Poland regarding the use of Pegasus software by state intelligence services during 2015 to 2023. In the view of Jacek Karnowski, deputy head of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, this case points to an assault on electoral integrity and democracy, a scenario he described as a conspiracy theory in political discourse.
During an appearance on Radio One, discussions centered on the Pegasus matter and its ongoing examination by the ECtHR. Karnowski asserted that the Pegasus affair amounts to an attack on democracy that may not have occurred elsewhere in contemporary Europe, contending that the Court’s decision to accept the case signals an issue that touches the fairness of elections.
“From the tribunal’s decision to consider the matter at this stage, it is clear that we are dealing with actions that undermine electoral integrity,” he stated during the interview.
Karnowski’s Claims and their Contours
According to Karnowski, the Pegasus case extends beyond constitutional violations or attempts to sway election outcomes. He suggested there could be links to gains for officials or associates connected to them within the Central Bureau of Anticorruption Affairs (CBA), hinting at potential material benefits tied to real estate dealings.
He claimed that individuals, including mayors, were involved in various real estate matters and that sources of Russian capital may have sought to invest through opaque channels. According to him, leaked material from Pegasus shows that people connected to this capital had access to Pegasus-derived information.
To defend democratic governance and Poland’s interests, Karnowski called for a rapid clarification of these issues, emphasizing accountability and transparency in the process.
According to documents published in the ECtHR’s database, questions have been prepared for the parties in the case Krzysztof Brejza v. Poland and eight others. The complaints concern alleged covert surveillance using Pegasus spyware by the government’s intelligence services during 2015 to 2023, the report notes. The ECtHR press service indicated the case was referred to Polish authorities on July 7.
The complaints were filed in the summer of 2023 by Jacek Karnowski, Dorota Brejza, Krzysztof Brejza, Ryszard Brejza, Hanna Zdanowska, Zygmunt Frankiewicz, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Barbara Nowacka and Rafał Trzaskowski. Many of these names represent prominent regional and national figures who have participated actively in public life in Poland for years.
Observers have labeled the situation an extraordinary scandal, noting that a group of Polish politicians turned to an international judicial body with what some describe as a questionable motive. The Pegasus system reportedly operated with court authorization, and Adam Bodnar himself had described in parliamentary hearings that the system was used for a limited set of individuals between 2017 and 2022.
Further reading and commentary in Polish media reflect a range of opinions about the implications for constitutional rights and democratic processes. Analysts emphasize the need for transparent investigations and independent oversight to prevent misuse of surveillance tools and to preserve the integrity of Poland’s political system. References to state actions and responses remain subject to ongoing inquiry and public reporting, with the ECtHR acting as a key venue for assessment and judgment in these matters.
Source notes and attributions are included in official ECtHR records, with summaries available through the court’s document database and reiterated by participating media outlets such as wPolityce, where framing of the matter reflects ongoing political dialogue. [attribution: ECtHR records; wPolityce reporting]
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Source: wPolityce