English Section

Poland seeks to put former justice minister on trial as Hungarian asylum uncertain

14.04.2026 16:00
Poland's parliament is set to take a major step toward putting former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro on trial before the State Tribunal, as his political protection in Hungary appears increasingly fragile following a change of government in Budapest.
Polish lower house Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty addresses reporters in Warsaw ahead of Tuesdays parliamentary session.
Polish lower house Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty addresses reporters in Warsaw ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary session.Photo: PAP/Rafał Guz

The Speaker of the Sejm lower house, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, announced Tuesday that coalition party leaders would submit a preliminary motion to the Constitutional Accountability Committee.

Ziobro, a lawmaker for the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, faces 26 criminal charges related to alleged irregularities in the Justice Fund, a state programme he oversaw as minister.

Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal organisation and directing subordinates to break the law in order to channel public money to favoured recipients.

After the Sejm approved Ziobro's detention and prosecutors issued charges in late 2025, it emerged he had left Poland.

He was subsequently granted political asylum by Viktor Orbán's government.

That protection, however, now looks precarious.

Péter Magyar, whose TISZA party won Hungary's parliamentary elections on Sunday, said his new government would not allow Hungary to become "a dumping ground for criminals wanted by the international community", adding that Ziobro and his former deputy at the ministry Marcin Romanowski would not remain in the country long.

Romanowski also received international protection from Hungary and is subject to a European arrest warrant.

Ziobro 'ready to fight for the truth'

Speaking to private broadcaster Polsat News from Budapest on Tuesday, Ziobro said he was "always ready to fight for the truth" and vowed to continue opposing Prime Minister Donald Tusk "wherever I am, even behind bars".

Asked whether he might travel to the United States, he said he could rule nothing out.

A European arrest warrant request for Ziobro is currently being processed by a Warsaw court, alongside an appeal against his pre-trial detention order.

Both proceedings have been delayed by defence motions to remove individual judges from the cases.

Under Polish law, bringing a minister before the State Tribunal requires a preliminary motion signed by at least 115 MPs, followed by a committee investigation and a final vote requiring three-fifths of the Sejm – 276 lawmakers.

(ał)

Source: PAP