Roads on border with Ukraine must not be blocked – Poland’s Justice Minister

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Poland’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General Adam Bodnar.

“The key point here is the formulation ‘critical infrastructure.’ I believe that access roads to the border should be part of critical infrastructure and should not be blocked because it harms everyone,” emphasized Bodnar.

According to him, in a democratic country, there are various other mechanisms for protest. Furthermore, in the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, there is a well-known case, "Kudrevičius and others v. Lithuania," where the court stated that road blockages are not protected as a form of permissible protest.

“There cannot be a situation where a minority uses a certain situation from an infrastructural and technical perspective to complicate life for the majority. Of course, everyone who wants to peacefully protest can exercise their right to assemble. But we must strive to ensure that roads remain accessible and passable,” stressed the Polish justice minister.

Bodnar highlighted that the Polish government will resolutely monitor the actions of local authorities regarding their obligations to organize local protests.

“And will demand the protection of critical infrastructure every time,” added the Polish official.

As it is known, Polish farmers blocked the border with Ukraine in several places from February to April last year. Their demands were related to the Polish government’s rejection of the European Green Deal and a blockade on the import of various types of agricultural products from Ukraine.

In early January, Polish farming organizations protested at the European Commission’s representation in Warsaw, opposing the free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries and the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland.

Earlier, Ukraine's Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, Vitalii Koval, stated in an interview with Ukrinform that Warsaw should address the issue of periodic border blockages by Polish farmers and their threats to do so in the future.