Poland’s ex-minister who was declared wanted flees to US from Hungary

Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s former justice minister, has reportedly fled from Hungary to the United States after Poland issued criminal charges against him.

Ziobro confirmed in an interview with a Polish broadcaster that he had arrived in the U.S. after leaving Hungary, where he had been granted asylum by the previous government of Viktor Orbán. 

Polish prosecutors accuse Ziobro of abuse of power, running an organized criminal group, and misusing funds intended for crime victims to purchase Pegasus spyware allegedly used against political opponents. He denies all accusations and says the case is politically motivated. 

The move came shortly after Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, announced that Hungary would no longer protect foreign fugitives wanted in other countries. 

Poland’s Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said authorities would seek Ziobro’s extradition if his presence in the United States was confirmed. “If it is confirmed that Ziobro is in the USA, then Poland will request his extradition,” Żurek said in an interview with Polsat News.

He later added on social media that Polish authorities would contact both the United States and Hungary to determine how Ziobro was able to enter the country despite allegedly lacking valid travel documents. “We will not cease our efforts to ensure that he and Mr Marcin Romanowski are held accountable before the Polish justice system,” Żurek said.

Ziobro, a former leader of the ultra conservative Sovereign Poland party and former coalition partner of the nationalist Law and Justice party, served as Poland’s justice minister and attorney general between 2015 and 2023.

He is widely associated with controversial judicial reforms that triggered prolonged disputes between Poland and the European Commission. The former minister has denied all allegations against him and accused Poland’s current centrist government of politically targeting conservatives.

Reports say Polish authorities are now considering possible extradition steps if Ziobro’s presence in the United States is officially confirmed.