Michał Ostrowski, suspended deputy prosecutor general, has requested to resume his duties from May 4th, following a disciplinary court decision.
Suspension and Investigation into “Coup d’état” Claims
Prosecutor Michał Ostrowski was suspended from his duties in February 2025 for six months by then-Prosecutor General and Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar. This followed his launch of an investigation into allegations of a “coup d’état” involving the Prime Minister and parliamentary leaders, based on a notification from the President of the Constitutional Tribunal, Bogdan Święczkowski.
The suspension was repeatedly extended at the request of a disciplinary spokesperson tasked with investigating the deputy prosecutor general’s actions. It was last extended until April 10th.
Court Decision and Request for Duties
On Tuesday, the Disciplinary Court at the Prosecutor General’s Office ruled against further extending Ostrowski’s suspension. Subsequently, Ostrowski formally requested Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek to schedule a meeting and assign him the duties of Deputy Prosecutor General from May 4th, stating his commitment to serving Poland after nearly 30 years as a prosecutor.
Prosecutor General’s Office Response
The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) spokesperson, Anna Adamiak, stated that Ostrowski’s letter had not yet been received by either the National Prosecutor’s Office or the Ministry of Justice. However, she confirmed that the court’s decision not to extend the suspension is immediately enforceable.
Adamiak clarified that Ostrowski should report to work on April 13th, the day after the suspension expires, and that the PG’s internal regulations would ensure he is assigned duties upon arrival. She noted uncertainty regarding Ostrowski’s stated start date of May 4th.
Background of Ostrowski’s Appointment and Suspension
Ostrowski was appointed Deputy Prosecutor General a month after the October 15, 2023 elections, following a nomination by then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro. He was initially suspended in February of last year for initiating the “coup d’état” investigation without proper registration within the prosecutor’s office’s record-keeping system.
Concerns were also raised regarding his close relationship with the President of the Constitutional Tribunal and his prior subordinate role to him between 2016-2022, as well as the perceived political nature of the investigation.
Related Political Context
The conflict surrounding the Polish prosecutor’s office stems from a change in leadership at the National Prosecutor’s Office in early 2024, when then-Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar deemed the reinstatement of Dariusz Barski from retirement as legally flawed. In January 2024, Ostrowski filed a complaint alleging attempted interference by Bodnar in the Barski case, which was later dismissed by a prosecutor who found no evidence of a crime.
Ostrowski was one of several deputy prosecutors general appointed during the previous PiS government who were reassigned to departments dealing with organized crime in December 2024, a move they criticized as hindering their ability to fulfill their duties.