Amnesty International Report 1994 - Poland

At least eight conscientious objectors were imprisoned for refusing to perform military service and were considered prisoners of conscience. One person was sentenced to death. Poland ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in January. At least 40 people were tried before military courts for refusing to perform military service on grounds of conscience. Requests made by members of the Roman Catholic Church to perform alternative service are usually refused because the authorities consider that personal convictions in such cases should be overridden by the fact that the Church does not object to military service. Piotr Dawidziak and Piotr Krzyæanowski, conscientious objectors to military service, began serving one-year prison sentences in February. They were both released in August. Rados¿av Jamrozik began serving a one-year prison sentence in April. Four other conscientious objectors were imprisoned in August, October and November. Roman Ga¿uszka was released from prison in April after serving a sentence imposed in 1992 (see Amnesty International Report 1993). One person was sentenced to death for murder in May. However, there have been no executions in Poland since 1989. Amnesty International called for the release of prisoners of conscience. The organization also called on the Polish authorities to commute the death sentence and to abolish the death penalty.