Key facts
- Poland has formally requested the extradition of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro from the United States.
- Ziobro faces 26 charges, including alleged abuse of power and diversion of public funds.
- The charges stem from his tenure as Justice Minister during the Law and Justice (PiS) party's rule (2015-2023).
- Ziobro and his deputy were granted asylum in Hungary by the previous government.
- Ziobro reportedly fled to the U.S. in May, calling the charges politically motivated.
Poland has formally requested the United States to arrest and extradite former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces 26 charges including alleged abuse of power, diversion of public funds to political allies, and spying on opponents. The request, delivered through diplomatic channels by Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek, covers 19 of the alleged offenses for which prosecutors want to charge Ziobro.
Ziobro, a prominent figure from the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party which ruled from 2015 to 2023, has been accused by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European government of corruption. Ziobro, who pushed through controversial judicial reforms, has denied the charges, calling them fabricated and a political vendetta by Tusk.
He and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, had been granted asylum in Hungary by the previous government. Ziobro reportedly fled to the U.S. in May, shortly after Hungary's new Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office and promised to revoke their refugee status. Romanowski's whereabouts are currently unknown.