Senate Blocks Waiver of Senator Tyszkiewicz’s Immunity in Mejza Defamation Case

The Polish Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject a motion to lift the parliamentary immunity of Senator Wadim Tyszkiewicz in a personal rights violation case brought by MP Łukasz Mejza.

Senate Decision on Immunity

Senator Wadim Tyszkiewicz can rest easy after senators voted on Wednesday against lifting his parliamentary immunity. The case concerns a personal rights violation lawsuit brought by MP Łukasz Mejza after Tyszkiewicz called him a “fraudster.”

The motion failed in a vote at Wednesday’s Senate session, with 65 senators voting against it, four in favor, and 13 abstaining. Earlier, the Senate Rules Committee had also recommended rejecting the motion.

Background of the Conflict

Independent MP Łukasz Mejza sought the waiver of Tyszkiewicz’s immunity. His motion for consent to hold Tyszkiewicz civilly liable for personal rights violations reached the Senate in late April. According to Mejza, Tyszkiewicz published baseless claims and suggestions on Facebook and X between August 2021 and November 2022.

Some of Tyszkiewicz’s posts criticized Mejza’s tenure as Deputy Minister of Sport and Tourism, referencing 2021 reports by Wirtualna Polska stating that the politician’s firm promised cures to the terminally ill. In late 2021, then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dismissed Mejza from his ministerial post.

Tyszkiewicz’s Defense

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate Rules, Ethics, and Senatorial Affairs Committee, Tyszkiewicz described Mejza’s motion as an attempt at revenge and gagging, as well as a manifestation of personal retaliation for lost positions. He argued that his social media posts were a fully permissible form of criticism against a public official.

The senator stated that he stands by calling Mejza a fraudster with full responsibility, though he admitted he went too far in one instance by calling him a scoundrel. He added that he would waive his immunity in this case on the condition that all other criminal proceedings currently conducted against Mejza are concluded.

Broader Controversies Involving MP Mejza

In October of last year, the Sejm Ethics Committee punished Łukasz Mejza with a reprimand for his behavior toward Senator Wadim Tyszkiewicz in a restaurant at the New Parliamentary House in April 2025. Committee member Ewa Schädler stated at the time that Mejza used very vulgar, ageist, and sexist remarks toward the senator and his wife, while Mejza claimed Tyszkiewicz approached him first.

In March of this year, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced that MP Łukasz Mejza had resigned from the Law and Justice parliamentary club. Sources close to party leadership indicated that the actual reasons for his removal were his numerous traffic violations and media reports regarding his plans to participate in freak fight gala matches.

In late March, Łukasz Mejza waived his immunity regarding police and Chief Road Transport Inspectorate requests concerning multiple counts of speeding on public roads. Media calculations indicate that proceedings involving a total of 17 speeding tickets and 168 penalty points are ongoing against him.

In April of last year, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Zielona Góra filed an indictment against Mejza containing 11 charges, mostly relating to providing false information or concealing information in asset declarations between 2021 and 2024.