Justyna at her office in Warsaw. CREDIT: Fòs Feminista
Justyna’s case highlights the devastating consequences of criminalizing any element of abortion care.
New York, NY — Today, following 18 months of judicial persecution in a political trial, a Polish court found human rights activist Justyna Wydrzyńska guilty of allegedly helping a woman known as Ania, a Polish woman and survivor of domestic violence at the hands of her husband, with an at-home abortion using medication. Accordingly, she will now serve eight months of court-mandated community service for defending the basic right to health — which includes the right to access information about healthcare.
At the outset of Justyna’s case, Fòs Feminista and its partner organizations, ANIS and CEPAM-Guayaquil, presented an amicus brief to the court in support of Justyna’s innocence, noting that providing “quality evidence-based information about self-managed abortion is a form of protecting the right to health and ensuring the crucial component of information accessibility.”
In Poland, abortion is permitted in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the woman’s life, all of which require court-certified proof. However, those who directly help others receive abortion care are criminalized, including doctors and activists like Justyna, who is co-founder of Abortion Dream Team. As a result, Polish law creates de-facto barriers to accessing abortion care that disproportionately harms marginalized people seeking information about how to access care in a country that is openly hostile to abortion.
In response to the outrageous conviction of Justyna Wydrzyńska, Giselle Carino, chief executive officer of Fòs Feminista, released the following statement:
“Fòs Feminista is deeply saddened by the outcome in the case of Justyna Wydrzyńska in Poland. While thankfully Justyna was not sentenced to the three years in prison she faced at the outset of her case, her criminal charge and court-mandated punishment set a reckless precedent of disdain for basic human rights. Her case highlights the devastating consequences of criminalizing any element of abortion care.
“Without hesitation or exception, we condemn the criminalization of any aspect of abortion care, which is an assault on the human rights of the most marginalized. Only a select few can truly access abortion care when doctors, doulas, activists, and accompaniment workers face criminal prosecution for their involvement. I
“Poland carries the shame of being one of only four countries to revoke the right to abortion after once granting it, putting it alongside El Salvador, Nicaragua, and now the United States of America. As the world continues to witness the horrifying impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people from this region now needs safe and reliable sexual and reproductive healthcare more than ever.
“Fòs Feminista remains in solidarity with Justyna and all other defenders of the basic human rights hostile governments are determined to strip from their own people. The global feminist movement — which is stronger now than ever before — stands solidly with Justyna and the people of Poland.
“Fòs Feminista will continue to celebrate, support, and uplift the incredible work of organizations such as our sisters at the Abortion Dream Team, who provide essential support to individuals seeking abortion care in Poland, and in other countries where access to safe and legal abortion is restricted.
“As Justyna stated in her closing speech, ‘The fear I felt is not only caused by fear for the body, but also for freedom, which is the superior right of every human being.’ Every person has the right to make informed decisions about their own body and future. Just as Justyna has committed, we too will continue to advocate for sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice until these rights are recognized and protected for everybody everywhere.”
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Fòs Feminista is an international feminist alliance centered around sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Together with more than 220 organizations in 40 countries worldwide, we engage in healthcare, education, and advocacy to advance our agenda. This includes providing sexual and reproductive health services and implementing community-based strategies that make sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women, girls, and others at the margins. We also engage young people with comprehensive sexuality education and provide care to survivors of gender-based violence. We stand alongside our partners in the streets, in the courts, and in other advocacy spaces as an unapologetically feminist voice, resisting injustice and advocating for gender equality and reproductive rights locally and globally.
