A Polish court has ruled that ex-Senator Waldemar Bonkowski, convicted of animal cruelty, will not perform community service due to ongoing health concerns.
Animal Cruelty Conviction
The Gdańsk District Court convicted former Senator Waldemar Bonkowski in April 2024 for animal cruelty resulting in the death of a dog. In March 2021, Bonkowski was filmed dragging a dog behind his car.
Bonkowski received a three-month prison sentence and a one-year community service order, requiring 30 hours of work per month. He initially denied the charges, claiming a political smear campaign.
Community Service Suspended
In July 2024, Bonkowski was briefly detained before being released to serve the remainder of his sentence under electronic monitoring.
The court ordered that Bonkowski begin his community service immediately after completing his prison term. However, in October 2024, he presented a medical certificate stating he was unable to perform physical labor.
Medical Exemptions and Appeal
Bonkowski’s defense team requested the court convert the community service into a financial penalty, but this request was denied by the Gdańsk District Court in February 2025.
Further medical documentation submitted in April 2024 indicated that performing community service would worsen his health. Experts determined he suffered from multiple conditions rendering him permanently unable to work, with no prospect of improvement.
Case Dismissed
Based on this opinion, the court determined Bonkowski faced a permanent obstacle to fulfilling his community service obligation and dismissed the enforcement proceedings on April 13th. The decision is subject to appeal. Radio Gdańsk first reported the news.
Political Career
66-year-old Waldemar Bonkowski is a trained upholsterer. He became involved with the Centre Agreement in the 1990s and later with Law and Justice (PiS).
He served on the Pomeranian regional council in 2006 and 2014. In 2015, he was elected to the Senate as a candidate for Law and Justice. In February 2018, he was suspended from the party due to a series of antisemitic posts on social media, becoming an unaffiliated senator. He failed to secure re-election in 2019, running on his own electoral committee.
