Polish prosecutors have issued a warrant for Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who fled abroad after being charged with multiple offenses.
Warrant Issued for Ziobro
“The prosecutor issued an order today for the search of the suspect Zbigniew Ziobra by warrant. The search will be conducted by the Capital City Police Command,” announced on Friday, February 6, Prosecutor Przemysław Nowak, spokesman for the National Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators announced the issuance of the warrant last week, after the Regional Court for Warsaw-Mokotowa issued an order to apply temporary detention for the suspect for a period of 3 months from the date of arrest.
The judge emphasized that Ziobro has had his parliamentary immunity lifted. Secondly, according to the court, the prerequisites for applying temporary detention have been met – the high probability of the commission of acts by the suspect was mentioned and it was emphasized that flight and concealment have already occurred. There is also a circumstance concerning misconduct and fear of a severe sentence for the suspect. This is a real fear – argued Prosecutor Piotr Woźniak. The next step will be the application of a warrant and a European Arrest Warrant – he added at Thursday’s court session.
Ziobro’s Defense: It’s a Joke
Attorney Bartosz Lewandowski, defender of the Law and Justice politician, assessed that “the warrant issued by the National Prosecutor’s Office against Zbigniew Ziobro is a joke and unequivocal confirmation of the political involvement of the Prosecutor’s Office.” In a social media post, he added that according to him, a warrant is issued for a suspect when they are hiding in Poland and is intended to spread the image of the wanted person for the purpose of finding them.
He added that the image of Zbigniew Ziobro is well-known, and the suspect is abroad where he received asylum. “The issuance of a warrant, the dissemination of the image of a person presumed innocent and the triumphant use of this fact by politicians of the current government confirm the validity of the thesis that Zbigniew Ziobro has no chance of a fair trial in Poland, and that granting him international protection was completely justified,” – emphasized the defender and stated that the prosecutor’s action is intended to serve repression and stigmatization of Ziobro, who is presumed innocent.
26 Charges for Ziobro, Up to 25 Years in Prison
The National Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that in the proceedings concerning irregularities in the Justice Fund, evidence has been gathered that justifies “suspicion that Zbigniew Z. committed 26 qualified acts as exceeding powers and failing to perform the duties of a public official.” The charges that the prosecutor wants to bring against the Law and Justice politician include, among others, creating and leading an organized criminal group and embezzling money from the Justice Fund.
Ziobro faces a total sentence of up to 25 years in prison. On November 13, 2025, the National Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had applied for his arrest for three months. Earlier, the defender informed that the court reserved that at the moment of arrest, Zbigniew Ziobro will be transferred to a treatment facility. Regarding the European Arrest Warrant, he said that he had filed a request in the case file to suspend enforcement of this ruling.