Polish court dismissed blogger Crawly's appeal against deportation and ten-year entry ban

The Supreme Administrative Court of Poland rejected the Ukrainian blogger Vladyslav Oliynichenko, known as Crawly, and his appeal against deportation and a ten-year ban on entry to the Schengen area.

This was reported by RMF24.

In November 2024 the blogger was deported to Ukraine by a decision of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland, made at the request of the head of the Internal Security Agency. He was also banned from re-entering the Schengen area for 10 years.

Initially Crawly’s complaint was rejected by the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw, and then by the Supreme Administrative Court. Both courts examined secret information provided by the Internal Security Agency.

The Supreme Administrative Court expressly stated that after analyzing this information it “found no grounds to challenge the position of the voivodeship court,” the Internal Security Agency said.

The court also noted that concerns about possible espionage activities were sufficiently confirmed by the relevant authorities.

Spokesperson for the minister coordinating special services, Jacek Dobziński, stated that Crawly tried to obtain permission to enter Poland. “There was justification to believe that he could engage in espionage,” Dobziński said.

The Internal Security Agency reported that the deportation application resulted from monitoring the foreigner’s behavior, disrespect for the rules of the country of stay, and the conclusion that his actions could lead to disclosure of sensitive information about Poland’s security and its citizens.

The court noted that the recording and publication on social media of staged events that disturb public order may demonstrate the forces and means involved, as well as the method and timing of law enforcement response.

Crawly published videos in which he ran on all fours in shopping centers in Warsaw, clung to visitors, jumped on cars, and infiltrated staff areas of stores in a dwarf costume. One of the car-jumping episodes was staged, and the cars were brought to the scene by tow trucks. During this event the blogger sprayed a passerby with a fire extinguisher who had objected to the participants.