Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro skipped parliamentary proceedings on Thursday that could result in him being stripped of his immunity and detained, apparently choosing to follow events from Hungary amid claims he would not receive a fair hearing in Warsaw.
Ziobro, who served as justice minister from 2015 to 2023, has been at the centre of public speculation in Poland for days over whether he would appear before a parliamentary commission and the subsequent chamber vote on his immunity. His recent appearance in Budapest in late October strengthened suspicions that he planned to stay abroad.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU government is seeking to investigate alleged wrongdoing under the former nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) administration.
Ziobro — the chief architect of the controversial judicial reforms that led to years of confrontation with the European Union over Poland’s rule of law — is the most prominent PiS figure targeted by prosecutors so far.
The parliamentary vote, expected on Friday, would clear the way for him to face 26 criminal charges, including abuse of power and leading an organised criminal group.
Among the accusations is that Ziobro misused funds from the Justice Fund — intended to assist victims of crime — to purchase the Pegasus spyware system.
He has rejected all allegations, calling them part of a politically motivated vendetta led by Tusk’s government in retaliation for his previous anti-corruption actions against individuals linked to the prime minister. Ziobro insists he would not receive a fair trial if he returned to Poland.
“The government is determined to stop me from responding to the false accusations contained in the motion to lift my immunity,” Ziobro said during a Thursday news conference broadcast by two nationalist outlets, which claimed it took place in Budapest. Reuters could not independently verify his location.
Several of Ziobro’s former deputies are also under investigation. One, Marcin Romanowski, fled to Hungary, where he has been granted political asylum.
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Ziobro in Budapest last month and accused the Polish government of conducting a “political witch hunt” against the opposition politician.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 3rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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