Pro-choice activist faces trial in Poland for aiding abortion
Justyna WydrzyÅ„ska, 47-year-old mother of three, who has been helping women access abortion for more than 15 years, is set to face trial in Poland this week for violating the country’s strict abortion law.
She could be imprisoned for a maximum of three years if found guilty of providing abortion-inducing tablets to a pregnant woman.
In February 2020, WydrzyÅ„ska, the founder of Poland’s first chatroom for exchanging abortion-related information and co-founder of pro-choice advocacy organisation Abortion Dream Team (ADT), was contacted by a woman who was 12 weeks pregnant and living under domestic violence.
It was the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic when Poland’s postal service made announcements that international deliveries might be affected.
“The woman was desperate to have an abortion. She had previously tried to travel to Germany for the procedure but was stopped by her violent husband,” WydrzyÅ„ska told Al Jazeera in an interview through a video call.
“Her story touched my heart it was similar to what I had experienced in 2006,” recalls WydrzyÅ„ska, who was also 12 weeks pregnant and living under domestic violence when she decided to have an abortion.
WydrzyÅ„ska took the risk and sent abortion pills via the Polish post. “Of course, I helped her; I wouldn’t be a human if I hadn’t,” said WydrzyÅ„ska.
Police turned up at the woman’s home the day the package of pills, which also contained WydrzyÅ„ska’s contact details, arrived. She miscarried from stress.
According to WydrzyÅ„ska, the woman’s husband had called the police.
“I do not know why he called the police, maybe he wanted to punish the woman. All I know is that he did not know who had sent the pills,” said WydrzyÅ„ska whose house was raided 16 months later. The Polish police confiscated personal abortion pills she had at home as well as her children’s laptop.
The trial
On April 8, Wydrzyńska is to stand trial for assistance in terminating the pregnancy, by which she violated Article 152.2 of the Polish Penal Code. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison.
“Justyna W is also charged with the possession of unauthorised drugs with the aim of introducing them to the market,” the press office of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office told Al Jazeera in a statement.
Those seeking abortion access in Poland have been facing strict laws for decades. Read More…
