A protest was organized in front of the Ministry of Justice regarding the discontinuation of the investigation into the death of Jolanta Brzeska. The demonstrators do not agree with the investigators' decision and have their own demands.
The protest started at 3 p.m. in front of the building of the Ministry of Justice. The protesters had banners on which we could read: “You will not burn us all” or “She died fighting for the right to a flat. The fight continues.”
The demonstrators demanded “the resumption and thorough conduct of the investigation into Brzeska's murder and the appropriate punishment of the perpetrators of the crime.” Moreover, they appealed for the services to resume proceedings regarding the negligence of the police and the prosecutor's office in this case.
“We will not see justice for our colleague as long as the lobby of businessmen and politicians who make a living from speculating on apartments remains strong. That is why we appeal to associate in tenants' organizations, participate in our activities and protests, and fight together for cheap, accessible apartments in Poland,” they wrote in description of the event.
The prosecutor's office again discontinued the investigation
On Monday, we announced that the investigation into the murder of Jolanta Brzeska had been discontinued. The reason was “lack of data sufficient to justify the suspicion of committing a prohibited act.”
According to information provided by the prosecutor's office, the investigation was discontinued on October 28 this year by the prosecutor of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk.
The proceedings, ongoing since 2011, concerned the murder of an activist by pouring flammable liquid on her and setting her on fire. Brzeska died as a result of thermal shock, extensive body burns and carbon monoxide poisoning.
“The basis for discontinuing the investigation is the lack of data sufficient to justify the suspicion of committing a prohibited act,” we read in the message sent to our editorial office by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk.
The investigation into the activist's murder was initiated on March 3, 2011 by the Prosecutor of the Warsaw-Mokotów District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, and then taken over by the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw. It was discontinued for the first time on April 8, 2013, due to the failure to detect the perpetrator.
From September 12, 2016 until now, the investigation was carried out at the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk.
Who was Jolanta Brzeska?
Jolanta Brzeska lived with her family at ul. Nabielaka 9 in Warsaw. In 2006, the building was handed over to three heirs of the former owners and Marek M., who bought the claims. After repeated rent increases, the residents of Nabielak fell into a spiral of debt. Tenants were also harassed and threatened with eviction. As a result, Brzeska and other families established the Warsaw Tenants' Association.
On March 1, 2011, Jolanta Brzeska left home and never returned. A woman's burned body was found in the Culture Park in Powsin and was linked to the activist's disappearance. The identity was confirmed by an autopsy.
The first investigation into this case was discontinued in 2013 due to the failure to detect the perpetrators. As investigators pointed out at the time, many indications indicate that third parties contributed to the woman's death, but some of the revealed circumstances do not allow us to categorically reject the version of suicide, although it seems unlikely.
Main photo source: Piotr Nowak/PAP