Zbigniew Ziobro, an opposition politician and former justice minister wanted by Polish authorities, confirmed in an interview with the Polish conservative news channel TV Republika on Sunday evening that he had left Hungary for the United States.
Former Polish minister fled Hungary
Ziobro, who is suspected of a total of 26 criminal offenses in connection with the Justice Fund established by the previous Polish government, and received asylum in Hungary last December, said in the live interview that he had arrived in the United States on Saturday.
He added that he considers American courts to be independent and is prepared to face them should the Warsaw government request his extradition from US authorities. He said the charges brought against him in Poland were fabricated and politically motivated. He also said that he used the document issued to him in connection with his asylum status for his trip to the US.
Polish Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Zurek announced on X on Sunday afternoon that he would be contacting American and Hungarian partners to clarify “what legal basis allowed Zbigniew Ziobro to leave Hungarian territory and travel to the United States without valid documents.”
The Orbán government granted him political asylum
The former Hungarian government granted Ziobro political asylum, according to reports published in January. Péter Magyar, who was inaugurated as prime minister on Saturday, earlier pledged to launch an extradition procedure against Ziobro on his first day in office, the Hungarian News Agency wrote.
Former Polish PM Kaczyński claims Péter Magyar roasted a dog
Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister who had also been granted asylum, was also reported to have left Hungary, but wasn’t allowed to enter the US due to an outstanding European arrest warrant, reports said.
Ziobro and Romanowski were officials of the Law and Justice (PiS) party’s government which was on power in Poland between 2015 and 2023. Prime Minister Donald Tusk launched investigations into alleged corruption under the PiS government when he came to power in 2023. Ziobro is suspected of running an organised crime ring and of unlawful use of the Pegasus spyware programme, among other crimes.
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