Grażyna Olszewska, mother of jailed Polish priest Father Michał Olszewski, broke down in a television interview over her son’s treatment in prison.
Her son “is not the same person; this is not him. He is damaged, gaunt, and terrified. The terror in his eyes. I will carry that image to the grave,” Olszewska told independent Polish TV channel TV Republika September 12.
The priest has been detained since March for alleged irregularities in his Profeteo Foundation, set up for victims of crime.
The foundation obtained money from the state-run Justice Fund. It received 66 million złoty (€15 million) from the fund under the previous PiS government, but prosecutors now say it did not meet the conditions to receive financial support.
Poland has been criticised by human rights watchdogs and the European Commission for abuses in pretrial detention. Campaigners say the detention facilities aimed to break prisoners and induce confessions.
During the interview, Olszewska said she could not contain her grief as she recalled her first encounter with her son following his six months of silence and isolation in jail.
Wzruszająca rozmowa z mamą ks. Olszewskiego na antenie @RepublikaTV pic.twitter.com/wigAS3o78C
— Tomasz Sakiewicz (@TomaszSakiewicz) September 13, 2024
“Mummy, I’ve endured it, I’ve survived it, it’s already been done. Don’t worry about me,” the priest told his mother.
Olszewska said her son, who had helped to accommodate Ukrainian refugees after the 2022 invasion by Russia, had wanted to build a centre for victims of violence.
The centre was yet to be completed, and its construction was suspended following prosecutors’ action against Father Olszewski.
Prosecutors allege there have been irregularities in the centre’s funding and construction, and claim some of the funds were illegally diverted to political campaigning.
Officials from the last Conservative (PiS) government deny the allegations, and say that all money was spent in accordance with the proper procedures in place for the Justice Fund.
Father Olszewski was still in detention despite a court decision in June that said he should be released at the end of August.
A separate court accepted public prosecutors’ argument that charges against Olszewski are to be updated.
Lawyers from the Ordo Iuris think tank said the priest has endured cruel treatment from authorities including unnecessary handcuffing, restricting his use of the toilet, denying him food for days, and limiting his access to water. They also said officials have limited the priest’s contact with his lawyer.
The detention facilities have ignored the priest’s celiac disease, which requires a special diet, according to his attorney Krzysztof Wąsowski.
Prosecutors were under pressure from PM Donald Tusk and justice minister Adam Bodnar to charge the priest with colluding with officials from the previous administration, Wąsowski said.
