Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro was seen walking through Brussels’ European Parliament, reports say.
Ziobro in Brussels
Former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who had recently been in Hungary, was reportedly seen in Brussels, even appearing inside the European Parliament, according to TVP Info and Belgian correspondent Dorota Bawołek. He said he had returned to his home address, which he provided to the prosecutor’s office, and that he had been receiving treatment in a Brussels clinic. Ziobro suggested that his medical visit might explain his presence and that a European Arrest Warrant would be enforceable if issued.
Polish Politicians React to Ziobro’s Arrival
European Parliament MP Dariusz Joński reacted to Ziobro’s arrival, saying the former minister was “shamelessly prowling” the Parliament and questioning whether the court should wait until December 22 for a temporary arrest order. Fellow MP Bartosz Arłukowicz commented that Ziobro seemed physically fit to meet with PiS colleagues, a sign of good health, although he warned that a serious illness is unsuitable for large gatherings. MP Tomasz Trela mockingly dubbed Ziobro a “tourist of the year” and complained that he was traveling everywhere except Poland.
Ziobro Discusses Stay in Brussels
In an interview with TVP 24, Ziobro confirmed that Brussels is one of the addresses his representatives had supplied to the prosecutor’s office. He said he had come to discuss the scale of legal violations in Poland and that the request for a temporary arrest was unlawful because he had fulfilled his duties as justice minister and Attorney General. Ziobro asserted he was a free man and that the authorities were ineffective. He noted that the Minister of State Security had announced that, within “a few of the next days,” a decision would be made to strip him of his private passport, and a court application for his arrest would be considered on December 22, after which the European Arrest Warrant could be issued.