A Polish court has approved a three-month pre-trial detention for former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, currently in Hungary under political asylum, while a top lawyer urges Poland to file a formal complaint against Budapest.
Court Approves Arrest for Ziobro
The court agreed to pre-trial detention for Zbigniew Ziobro. According to the prosecutor’s office, Zbigniew Ziobro committed 26 crimes, including running an organized criminal group. This concerns an investigation into the embezzlement of funds from the Justice Fund.
On Thursday (February 5), the court decided to apply a temporary three-month arrest against the Law and Justice (PiS) MP. This opens the way for issuing an arrest warrant and a European Arrest Warrant against the former Minister of Justice, who is currently in Hungary, where he received political asylum. One of the politician’s lawyers, Adam Gomoła, announced that the defense will appeal the decision to the District Court in Warsaw.
Rosati: A Sad Picture for Polish Justice
Przemysław Rosati, president of the National Bar Council, commented on the court’s decision on Friday in the “One on One” program on TVN24. “On one hand, this is certainly proof of the equality of everyone before the law, because we are talking about a former Minister of Justice, a former Prosecutor General, who by court decision is to spend a specified time in temporary arrest. On the other hand, it is a sad picture, because this is a former Minister of Justice, a former Prosecutor General, and today really a suspect, against whom temporary arrest has been applied,” he said.
Poland Should Consider Complaint Against Hungary
Rosati also referred to the case of former Deputy Minister Marcin Romanowski. “At the moment when the European Arrest Warrant was issued and should have been executed by Budapest, the Hungarian state refused to execute it. And this is already a broader problem. This is not only a question of non-execution of the European Arrest Warrant, but it is also a violation of treaty obligations. I am thinking here about the membership of Hungary and Poland within the European Union. According to the treaty, Hungary has an obligation to fulfill treaty obligations,” he emphasized.
“In connection with the above, Poland has two legal instruments. A complaint against the Hungarian state or turning to the European Commission so that the Commission, ex officio, conducts proceedings that should also end with a complaint to the European Court of Justice of the European Union, precisely to enforce compliance with treaty obligations by Hungary,” the lawyer added.
The program host noted that Poland has not decided on such a complaint. In Rosati’s opinion, “Poland should definitely consider it.” “I understand that these are always political decisions, which often also involve difficult decisions on a diplomatic level, but I believe that from the point of view of the rule of law within the EU (…) every state should (…) fulfill its treaty obligations,” he emphasized and added that “the European Union cannot be reduced only to using what the EU offers. One must also fulfill one’s obligations.”
Ziobro’s Safety in Hungary
For at least the next few months, Zbigniew Ziobro can, despite the arrest ordered in Poland, feel at ease. Protection is provided by the political asylum granted in Hungary several weeks ago. Moreover, recent changes in Hungarian legislation will allow him to remain in Budapest even after a potential opposition election victory.
He will likely maintain his position thanks to work at the Hungarian-Polish Freedom Institute, financed primarily by American private funds. For now, the Polish court ruling on Zbigniew Ziobro’s case is not making waves in Hungarian media—both independent and pro-government.
