ECHR Decision Exposes the Instrumentalization of Abortion Advocates

On Thursday morning, June 8th, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a ruling on a case challenging the 2020 decision of the Polish Constitutional Court, which prohibited eugenic abortion based on fetal abnormalities. While the Court did not delve into the merits of the case and declared the applicants “inadmissible,” this decision sheds light on the disturbing agenda behind these demands.

Cases deemed inadmissible: a reassuring decision

The ECHR unanimously denied “victim” status to the eight women who had filed an application. One of Us finds reassurance in this decision, as it does not establish a “right to eugenic abortion” within the framework of the European Convention on Human Rights. This ruling upholds the principles of the right to life and equality.

The judges of the Court made an honest decision: how could these women, some of whom were not even pregnant—or in the case of two of them, were carrying healthy children—be considered victims of a law prohibiting abortion due to fetal abnormalities? The legislative amendment in question has only “hypothetical, distant, and abstract” consequences for them. The Court correctly recognized this fact. One of Us extends congratulations to the organizations that defended Poland before the Court and expresses satisfaction with the Court’s stance. The European Court of Human Rights has refrained from engaging in the ideological game orchestrated by feminist advocates campaigning for unlimited abortion.

Abortion advocates: no qualms about using the judiciary to exert political pressure

The relief brought about by the Court’s decision does not conceal the evident instrumentalization behind these cases. Following the 2020 ruling of the Polish Constitutional Court, feminist movements not only organized large-scale street protests but also orchestrated these demands. The NGO FEDERA (Federation for Women and Family Planning) provided pre-filled online forms that the applicants used to lodge an appeal with the ECHR.

These lobbies promote for unrestricted abortion and spare no effort in furthering their ideology. They exhibit no qualms about using the judiciary to exert pressure on European Union institutions and compel Poland to change its legislation. Ironically, these are the same individuals who cry foul in the media when a woman tragically dies during pregnancy, attributing it to the abortion ban. This is simply a lie! Even the European Court of Human Rights has acknowledged that Poland permits abortion when the life and health of the mother are in danger.

One of Us denounces this anti-democratic spirit that distorts facts and manipulates the European Court to achieve ideological objectives. Activist movements cannot simultaneously advocate for unlimited abortion based on fetal disabilities while professing support for the inclusion of people with disabilities. What message does this legal, media, and political persecution send to individuals with disabilities and their families?

Poland: a country committed to protecting the unborn from discrimination

Marina Cassini, new president of the One of Us Federation says:

We express our full support for Poland because Poland asserts that terminating a pregnancy due to disability is inhumane, both for the child and the woman, as well as the doctor performing the procedure, and for the society that rejects its most vulnerable members. Poland is one of the few countries that protects the unborn child, respects the right to life, equality, and the principle of non-discrimination. These are the values upheld by One of Us, and they are the values of the European Union, which is founded on the protection of every human being. Poland sets an exceptional example in a Europe that, through the legalization and promotion of abortion for fetal abnormalities, perpetuates negative stereotypes about disabilities. For One of Us, Poland serves as a model for championing the rights of the most vulnerable human beings.