Olga Tokarczuk, Margaret Atwood, Slavoj Zizek among cultural figures signing petition to free jailed Polish LGBTQ activist

A petition calling on Poland to free an imprisoned LGBTQ activist has been signed by dozens of internationally renowned cultural figures, including Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Tokarczuk, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, gender theorist Judith Butler, Booker Prize winning novelist Margaret Atwood, and film director Pedro Almadovar.

Malgorzata “Margot” Szutowicz was arrested in Warsaw on 7 August for assaulting a pro-life demonstrator who was distributing materials which falsely linked homosexuality to paedophilia. Szutowicz is held in a single-person cell, has no access to a lawyer, and risks a three-year sentence.

“We, the undersigned, express our outrage at repressions directed against the LGBT+ community in Poland,” the petition says. “We speak out in solidarity with activists and their allies, who are being detained, brutalised, and intimidated. We voice our grave concern about the future of democracy in Poland, a country with an admirable history of resistance to totalitarianism and struggle for freedom.”

Szutowicz was first arrested in relation to the case on 14 July. After being released, a court issued an order for two months pretrial detention on 7 August. On the same day, 48 other peaceful demonstrators were also arrested after attending a protest to show solidarity with Szutowicz, but were quickly released. Held in a one-person cell due to the coronavirus pandemic, Szutowicz is currently being denied access to a lawyer.