Media watchdog welcomes dropped case against Polish reporter

WARSAW, Poland – A media watchdog is welcoming a decision by Polish prosecutors to drop terrorism charges against an investigative reporter who wrote a 2017 book alleging that associates of the then-defence minister had links to Russian agents.

The Warsaw prosecutor’s office announced Monday it had dropped charges against Tomasz Piatek over “Macierewicz and His Secrets,” which alleged links between Antoni Macierewicz and Russian special services.

Reporters Without Borders representative Pauline Ades-Mevel said Wednesday the step “renders justice to an investigative reporter who was being prosecuted just for doing his job to provide information.”

The complaint had been brought to a military court and the charges carried a possible three-year sentence.

Macierewicz was replaced in a government shake-up in January.