Polish legislators have made a significant decision to advance proposals aimed at easing the strict abortion laws in the country, a contentious topic in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation with some of the toughest abortion regulations in Europe.
During a session on Friday, members of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, voted to move forward with four bills and establish a commission to address them.
Among the proposed bills are measures to legalize abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, aligning with standards in Europe. Another bill seeks to decriminalize aiding a woman in terminating a pregnancy, which is currently a criminal offense carrying a three-year prison sentence. Additionally, a fourth proposal aims to maintain the ban on most cases but allow abortions in instances of fetal abnormalities, a right that was revoked following a court ruling in 2020.
Currently, abortion in Poland is permitted only in cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s health or life is at risk.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who won the recent elections with a strong focus on women’s rights issues, has pledged to liberalize access to abortion.
Following the vote, Tusk affirmed on social media, “We are keeping our promise! The parliament will push forward with all initiatives concerning abortion rights.”
Amnesty International Poland’s campaign leader, Miko Czerwinski, hailed the parliament’s approval of the amendments as a significant step towards ending the harsh restrictions on abortion access in Poland, emphasizing the need to align the laws with international human rights standards.
Decisive issue in parliament
In recent years, authorities in Poland have faced…
Post from www.aljazeera.com