Polish court rules that crucifix may stay in parliament

December 11, 2013

A Polish appeals court has ruled that a crucifix placed in parliament in 1997 may remain there.

Members of Your Movement, an anti-clerical political party that holds 36 out of 460 seats in parliament, had filed suit.

“The presence of a cross in parliament does not infringe on [the defendants'] personal rights,” Judge Edyta Jefimko ruled, according to a Polskie Radio report. “The cross is a religious symbol, but its importance as a symbol of national identity and culture cannot be ignored.”

Your Movement vowed to appeal the decision to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

 

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Further information:

• Cross to stay in parliament, appeal court rules (Polskie Radio)
• Polish court approves crucifix in parliament (AP)