The court annulled the fine for Beata Szydło

Fine of PLN 3,000. PLN was imposed on Beata Szydło after she failed to appear for questioning several times. As previously informed by the spokeswoman of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów, Prosecutor Dorota Sokołowska-Mach, the dates were set from May to July, taking into account the calendar of European Parliament sessions.

On September 4, the District Court in Warsaw accepted the complaint of Beata Szydło's attorney and overturned the prosecutor's decision of July 29 to impose a fine on the former prime minister in connection with her unjustified failure to appear at the summons as a witness regarding the Polish National Foundation. The decision is final. The prosecutor is not entitled to appeal.

Jaromir Rybczak - head of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów - explained in a statement that, according to the court, the immunity of a Member of the European Parliament also includes the prohibition of applying a financial penalty provided for in Art. 285 pairs 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

This view, although sometimes expressed in the literature, is considered by the prosecutor to be wrong, Rybczak emphasized. In his opinion, such an approach means an extension of parliamentary immunity, which is contrary to the constitutional principle of equality before the law.

The regional prosecutor announced the setting of another date for the hearing of the former prime minister. Due to the witness's declaration of intention to voluntarily appear for questioning, another date will be set for this activity, Rybczak said.

Beata Szydło is to be questioned in an investigation into suspected abuse of powers and failure to fulfill duties by members of the management board of the Polish National Foundation in 2017. The proceedings focus on the mechanism of financing the "Fair Courts" campaign.