A minister in Poland’s previous right-wing government says he has received political asylum in Hungary as he faces charges of corruption at home.
Former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, from the conservative nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, posted on X on Monday that the Hungarian authorities had granted him protection.
He claimed that he had become the target of a “personal vendetta” by Poland’s centre-left Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“I choose to fight against political banditry and lawlessness. I resist the advancing dictatorship,” Ziobro wrote.
Hungary did not initially confirm that it had granted Ziobro asylum.
The Foreign Ministry told the online news site telex: “The rule of law is in crisis in Poland, and many people are facing political persecution. In Hungary, politically persecuted people are granted asylum in accordance with EU law.”
For his part, Tusk wrote on X that it was a “logical choice” for Ziobro as the “mastermind of the system of political corruption” that he had asked the government of right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for asylum.
Ziobro’s deputy, Marcin Romanowski, who was also wanted by the public prosecutor’s office, had been granted asylum in Hungary at the end of 2024.
Allegations of membership in criminal organization
Poland’s General Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Ziobro for 26 criminal offences, including suspicion of founding and membership in a criminal organization and suspicion of embezzlement of the equivalent of $41 million. According to investigators, he faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Ziobro has described the allegations as “reckless” and believes he is being persecuted for political reasons.
The Polish parliament lifted his immunity as a member of parliament in November.
At the centre of the allegations against the PiS politician is a so-called Justice Fund administered by the Ministry of Justice, whose resources are supposed to benefit crime victims.
As justice minister, Ziobro is alleged to have instructed subordinates to channel millions from the fund into projects from which he expected a benefit for his party.
Did the PiS spy on political opponents?
The former justice minister is also accused of diverting funds from the crime victims’ fund to purchase the Israeli spyware Pegasus.
Political opponents accuse the former PiS government of using Pegasus to spy on political adversaries. Pegasus exploits security vulnerabilities in smartphones to gain extensive access to data. It also allows for the interception of conversations.
The PiS governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. During this time, it significantly restructured the justice system, leading to confrontations with the European Commission.
In October 2023, the PiS lost the parliamentary election and has since been the largest opposition party in the country. Tusk’s centre-left coalition has since been working to reverse the controversial judicial reforms of the PiS government.