PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 26744/02) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mr Witold Kisielewski (“the applicant”), on 9 July 2001.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr Jakub Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 20 November 2007 the President of the Fourth Section decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1960 and lives in Cracow.

1. First set of criminal proceedings against the applicant

The applicant was charged with handling stolen property and, on an unspecified later date, he was detained on remand.

On 29 November 1993 the Cracow District Court convicted the applicant as charged and sentenced him to 2 years’ imprisonment. The applicant appealed.

On 8 April 1994 the Cracow Regional Court upheld the first-instance judgment.

2. Second set of criminal proceedings against the applicant

The applicant was charged with handling stolen property, forgery of documents and unlawful possession of a firearm and, on an unspecified later date, he was detained on remand.

On 2 March 1995 the Cracow Regional Court convicted the applicant as charged and sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Both the applicant and the prosecutor appealed.

On 5 October 1995 the Cracow Court of Appeal amended the first-instance judgment and increased the sentence to 5 years’ imprisonment.

On 21 December 1995 the Cracow Regional Court gave a cumulative judgment (wyrok łączny) and sentenced the applicant to 5 years’ imprisonment as cumulative penalties for the former conviction given in the first set of criminal proceedings (see paragraph 7 above) and the latter conviction given on 5 October 1995.

3. Third set of criminal proceedings against the applicant

On an unspecified later date the applicant was charged with handling stolen property.

On 27 February 1997 the Cracow Regional Court convicted the applicant as charged and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. The applicant appealed.

On 5 June 1997 the Cracow Court of Appeal upheld the first-instance judgment. A cassation appeal was available.

On 5 June 2002 the applicant requested to have the criminal proceedings against him re-opened. On 18 July 2002 the Supreme Court dismissed his request.

4. Censorship of the applicant’s correspondence

On 14 March 2002 the Court received the applicant’s letter of 25 February 2002. The envelope bore the following stamp: “Censored on 28 February 2002” (Ocenzurowano dnia 28.02.2002) and an illegible signature.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93318_a4_e1
001-93318_a4_em1
CODE
DIRECT
26744/02
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-93318_a4_e2
001-93318_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
insert
001-93318_a4_e3
001-93318_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-93318_a4_e4
001-93318_a4_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Witold Kisielewski
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001-93318_a4_e5
001-93318_a4_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
9 July 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-93318_a4_e6
001-93318_a4_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-93318_a4_e7
001-93318_a4_em7
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr Jakub Wołąsiewicz
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001-93318_a4_e8
001-93318_a4_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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001-93318_a4_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
20 November 2007
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001-93318_a4_e10
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DATETIME
QUASI
1960
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LOC
QUASI
Cracow
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001-93318_a4_e12
001-93318_a4_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
29 November 1993
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ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow District Court
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001-93318_a4_e14
001-93318_a4_em14
DATETIME
NO_MASK
2 years’
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001-93318_a4_e15
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DATETIME
QUASI
8 April 1994
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001-93318_a4_e16
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ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Regional Court
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DATETIME
QUASI
2 March 1995
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001-93318_a4_em18
ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Regional Court
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001-93318_a4_em19
DATETIME
NO_MASK
3 years and 6 months
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DATETIME
QUASI
5 October 1995
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001-93318_a4_e20
001-93318_a4_em21
ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Court of Appeal
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001-93318_a4_em22
DATETIME
NO_MASK
5 years’
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001-93318_a4_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
21 December 1995
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001-93318_a4_em24
ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Regional Court
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001-93318_a4_em25
DATETIME
NO_MASK
5 years’
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DATETIME
QUASI
5 October 1995
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QUASI
27 February 1997
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001-93318_a4_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Regional Court
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001-93318_a4_em29
DATETIME
NO_MASK
2 years and 6 months
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DATETIME
QUASI
5 June 1997
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ORG
NO_MASK
Cracow Court of Appeal
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DATETIME
QUASI
5 June 2002
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001-93318_a4_e27
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DATETIME
QUASI
18 July 2002
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001-93318_a4_e28
001-93318_a4_em34
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-93318_a4_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
14 March 2002
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001-93318_a4_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
25 February 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-93318_a4_em37
MISC
QUASI
“Censored on 28 February 2002” (Ocenzurowano dnia 28.02.2002)
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001-93318_a4_e32
001-93318_a4_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
28 February 2002
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DATETIME
QUASI
001-93318_a4_em38
28.02.2002
Witold Kisielewski
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Witold Kisielewski