In April 2021, a Polish court convicted a rights activist for supplying a pregnant woman with abortion pills. The activist, who is also a campaigner for the organization Women’s Rights for All Poland, was found guilty of “performing an illegal abortion” and was handed a suspended sentence of eight months in prison. The court also ordered the activist to pay a fine of 1,000 zlotys (approximately $270).
The conviction was the result of an incident in January 2021 in which the activist had supplied the woman with abortion pills after she had expressed her wish to terminate her pregnancy. Following the incident, the activist was arrested and charged with “unlawfully performing an abortion” under the Polish penal code.
Poland has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, allowing only limited access to the procedure in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the mother’s health or life. The court’s decision to convict the activist has caused outrage among pro-choice activists and human rights groups, who argue that the conviction is a violation of the right to freedom of expression and the right to access health care.