December 17, 2024 - Poland, Warsaw

Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz, a journalist at TVP, is suing former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for defamation after he falsely accused her of having ties to a Russian spy.

The accusation came after Dobrosz-Oracz asked Morawiecki about his involvement in the "Stop Russia Now" campaign as part of an investigation.

Pavel Rubtsov, also known as Pablo González Yagüe, is a Russian-Spanish journalist who worked as a Russian military intelligence operative before his arrest in Poland. He was later exchanged in a prisoner swap involving RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich, and other Russian dissidents imprisoned in Russia.

By linking Dobrosz-Oracz to Rubtsov, the former Prime Minister was trying to deflect from important questions about possible misconduct and discredit the journalist. Dobrosz-Oracz swiftly rejected the claim she was associated with the Russian spy, calling it "slander."

Women Press Freedom stands with Dobrosz-Oracz and all journalists uncovering the truth. We condemn this attack against her and believe it is an attempt to discredit a journalist for asking tough questions.