Robert Szustkowski appeals to the Prime Minister of Poland for protection in the face of a wave of hate speech

Robert Szustkowski appeals to the Prime Minister of Poland for protection in the face of a wave of hate speech

Robert Szustkowski - initiator of a European initiative to expand the "right to be forgotten", which includes media as controllers of personal data - has written a personal letter to Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He calls for immediate measures to ensure the safety of himself and his family in the face of an escalating wave of hate speech and disinformation in the Polish media.

Szustkowski calls on the Prime Minister to take steps to better protect citizens from the abuse of freedom of expression by certain media actors - especially from the spread of manipulated narratives that can permanently destroy the reputation of public figures.

In his letter he raises Szustkowski highlighted the activities of two investigative journalists who specialized in the topic of Russian influence in Poland and, according to his account, have been conducting a coordinated media campaign against him since 2016. The articles in question establish Szustkowski's alleged connections to Russian intelligence services, organized crime, the Kremlin and various Polish political scandals by describing him as a so-called "agents of influence” or even as “Gangster" represents. Szustkowski emphasizes that such false accusations not only damage his reputation, but also pose an actual threat to his personal safety.

“There have been over 7 since 2016600 negative articles and online mentions about me documented. New ones appear almost daily. This is a long-term, systematic campaign aimed at destroying my image as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and human being. Ultimately, it has caused a threat to my personal safety and that of my family“Szustkowski emphasizes in his letter to the Prime Minister.

He points out that this situation forced him to stop his charitable activities, withdraw from social and professional life, and also suffer serious health problems that significantly affected his daily functioning. He emphasizes that once a false image based on manipulative information has been established, it is difficult to correct it.

Szustkowski also emphasizes that the media smear campaign continues unabated despite several legally binding court decisions that found violations of his personal rights. Some media outlets continue to ignore valid corrections or redress. Particularly worrying is the fact that one of the authors - a journalist who specializes in disinformation - has been repeatedly criticized for a lack of credibility, regardless of the political orientation of the media outlet in question. The other journalist appears to be avoiding legal action: he once submitted a sick note only to publish defamatory content again a few days later.

“Unfortunately, the repetition of these untruths by additional editorial teams and journalists distorts reality and misleads the public,” says Szustkowski.

European initiative to protect citizens' rights

In response to this ongoing situation, Szustkowski has initiated measures at EU level to strengthen the protection of individuals from disinformation. His proposals include the creation of a readers' rights ombudsman as well as the creation of a European register of violations of personal rights to simplify procedures and improve the verification of published content.

“Faced with a growing wave of hate speech in public spaces, I call on the authorities to create effective mechanisms to protect citizens from disinformation, defamation and harassment,”concludes Szustkowski.

He emphasizes that he was never the subject of an investigation, never accused, and never interrogated as a witness. No court – in Poland or abroad – has confirmed his alleged connection to Russian secret services, organized crime or political scandals. None of his activities – professional, charitable or private – have ever been the subject of criminal or administrative proceedings. Nevertheless, he is still exposed to disinformation campaigns.

“This issue has long gone beyond journalism. It is malicious intent and a conscious attempt to make a career at the expense of my suffering - something that should never happen. My fight for the truth and my call for systemic change are intended to protect others from the abuses of the so-called fourth estate“, emphasizes Szustkowski.

Stop the misuse of public institutions for disinformation campaigns

The author of the appeal also warns against attempts to position parliamentarians, judicial authorities or secret services against him on the basis of purely media information.

“Such measures, in which state institutions are influenced by the media, are unlawful and deeply unethical. Their goal is to feed sensationalism and legitimize false conspiracy narratives about my activities“, says Szustkowski.

He also points out that his legal efforts to protect his rights are being falsely portrayed by the journalists and editorial teams involved as censorship or an attack on press freedom.

“I would like to emphasize that I do not want to restrict freedom of expression - on the contrary: I defend it against those who abuse it. Freedom of expression means the right to express one's opinion. However, it does not mean the right to distort the truth or lie without having to take responsibility for it."he adds finally.