TVP will not appeal or defend itself. They will apologize and pay for being anti-LGBT

However, it will not appeal against the district court’s judgment, which ordered an apology and payment to social organizations supporting LGBT+ people. This is the result of a change of authorities in the public media – the previous management of TVP appealed against the verdict immediately after it was issued.

TVP will apologize and pay for “Invasion”

The judgment of the District Court in Warsaw was issued in mid-2022. TVP was ordered not only to apologize in the main news edition, but also to pay PLN 35,000 to organizations supporting LGBT+ people. The court found that Telewizja Polska, in the “Invasion” material, violated the personal rights of numerous people – mainly activists shown in the “reportage” on the LGBT+ community. “Invasion” slandered, insulted and showed untruth behind the organization and people responsible for the equality marches. “Reportaż” appeared on TVP just before the 2019 elections and was an element of the political campaign of Law and Justice, which introduced the topic of the “threat” from LGBT+ people as one of the elements of the struggle for power. “The invasion” was accompanied by numerous announcements in the main edition of “Wiadomości”, and then comments in journalistic programs on TVP Info. , there was talk of threats to the “traditional family”, it was suggested that equality marches were organized from outside and people were brought to them.

The District Court ordered an apology and payment to non-governmental organizations in mid-2022, but TVP under the old government immediately appealed against the verdict. Due to the relatively slow work of the courts, the appeal dates would fall after the change of authorities, including those at Telewizja Polska. TVP decided that there would be no appeal, which means that the judgment became final on January 30, 2024.

The withdrawal of the appeal by TVP is an announcement of a new quality in public media and confirms that there is no place for homophobia in them! The “Invasion” material should never have been broadcast: it reproduces false and harmful information and raises doubts about the reliability and ethicality of the preparation, says Annamaria Linczowska from the Campaign Against Homophobia.

Shortly after the material was broadcast on TVP, the National Broadcasting Council began to receive complaints about “Invasion”. The then head of the National Broadcasting Council, Witold Kołodziejski, issued a statement stating that “the TVP film material titled “Invasion” did not promote illegal activities or incite hatred or discrimination.”