Movement for Defense of Human and Civic Rights
Encyclopedia
Movement for Defense of Human and Civic Rights was a right-wing political and social organization formed in People's Republic of Poland
in March of 1977. It tried to resist the regime by denouncing it for violating Polish and international laws including the Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland
and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
.
and gen. Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz (Ret.) It explained that the aims of the ROPCiO were to preserve and defend the civil
and human rights
. In fact the real aim was: to fight the Communist regime of the Polish United Workers' Party
by legal means. The declaration was issued only three days after the Polish parliament had ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
. ROPCiO focused on preparation of open letters of protest to the communist government, organizing legal and financial support for the families of political prisoner
s and providing members of the anti-Communist opposition with brochures explaining their rights. Among such secretly-published books were also so-called handbooks to arrest, that is instructions on how to behave when arrested by the militia or the Urząd Bezpieczeństwa. ROPCiO also organized a net of legal advisors and published several magazines, mostly underground.
On September 16, 1978 a part of ROPCiO members led by Leszek Moczulski left the movement and established the ZINO
movement, which later broke down onto the Confederation of Independent Poland, Movement of Young Poland and Movement of Free Democrats. The remainder of ROPCiO gradually melted into the structures of the Solidarity after its forming.
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
in March of 1977. It tried to resist the regime by denouncing it for violating Polish and international laws including the Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland
Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland
The Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland was passed on 22 July 1952. Created by the Polish communists in the People's Republic of Poland, it was based on the 1936 Soviet Constitution , and it superseded the post-war provisional Small Constitution of 1947 which, at its turn, had declared...
and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
.
History
The declaration, issued and presented to the press on March 26, 1977, was signed by 18 people, among them Andrzej CzumaAndrzej Czuma
Andrzej Czuma is a Polish politician, lawyer and historian, an activist of the Polish anti-Communist opposition in the Polish People's Republic. Oppressed and imprisoned by the Communist authorities. In the 1980s he left for the USA where he became an activist in the community of Polish expats....
and gen. Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz (Ret.) It explained that the aims of the ROPCiO were to preserve and defend the civil
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. In fact the real aim was: to fight the Communist regime of the Polish United Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
by legal means. The declaration was issued only three days after the Polish parliament had ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
. ROPCiO focused on preparation of open letters of protest to the communist government, organizing legal and financial support for the families of political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s and providing members of the anti-Communist opposition with brochures explaining their rights. Among such secretly-published books were also so-called handbooks to arrest, that is instructions on how to behave when arrested by the militia or the Urząd Bezpieczeństwa. ROPCiO also organized a net of legal advisors and published several magazines, mostly underground.
On September 16, 1978 a part of ROPCiO members led by Leszek Moczulski left the movement and established the ZINO
Zino
Zino is a Greek social networking website. In 2009, it was ranked one of the top Greek social destinations.-History:Zino started as a continuation of a news-focused Greek network, chit-chat.gr, which was established in 2005, and eventually replaced it...
movement, which later broke down onto the Confederation of Independent Poland, Movement of Young Poland and Movement of Free Democrats. The remainder of ROPCiO gradually melted into the structures of the Solidarity after its forming.