Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who is facing charges of abuse of power, announced on Monday that he has been granted asylum in Hungary.
Ziobro was a key figure in the government led by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party that ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023.
Critics described these actions as politically motivated, and the regime established control over key judicial institutions through appointments to high courts and disciplinary actions against judges.
In October, prosecutors requested that parliamentary immunity be lifted in order to prosecute Ziobro.
They allege that Ziobro misused funds intended for victims of violence, including to purchase Israel’s Pegasus surveillance software. He faces up to 25 years in prison on 26 charges.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s party claims PiS used Pegasus to spy on political opponents while in power. Ziobro maintains he acted legally.
“Due to political persecution in Poland, I have decided to accept asylum granted to me by the Hungarian government,” Ziobro wrote in a lengthy post on X Monday.
“I have decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored to Poland,” he said. “I believe that instead of acquiescing to being silenced and subjected to a torrent of lies, we can do more by fighting the growing illegality in Poland.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Monday that Hungarian authorities had granted asylum to “several” people facing political persecution in Poland, the ministry said. He declined to reveal their names.
Budapest was hosting several politicians close to PiS while Polish authorities searched for them.
In an English post on X, Tusk wrote, “The ringleader of the political corruption system, former Minister of Justice (!) Ziobro, has requested political asylum from the Viktor Orbán government.” “It’s a logical choice,” he added.
There is no mechanism for citizens of EU member states to seek asylum in other EU member states.
Brussels’ official position is that citizens should be safe in all EU member states, except in very limited circumstances, because countries equally respect the rights of their citizens.
Ziobro is seen as the architect of the judicial reforms that have led to a conflict between Poland and the EU over concerns about the rule of law.
“There will be no impunity,” Deputy Defense Minister Cesary Tomczyk told Polsat broadcaster Ziobro, adding: “No politician is above the law.”
Additional sources of information • AP, AFP
