Former Polish Justice Minister Flees Hungary for US Amid Ongoing Legal Investigations

Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland's former Minister of Justice who was sheltered in Hungary during Viktor Orbán's tenure, has reportedly fled to the United States amid ongoing criminal investigations in his home country. This move follows recent political changes in Hungary, where the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar pledged to cooperate with Poland in extraditing officials who had sought refuge there.

Flight to the US and Visa Status

According to reports, Ziobro arrived in the United States on May 9. Polish right-wing television channel Republika broadcasted a statement from Ziobro confirming his arrival. Additionally, Polish media outlet TVN24 released a photograph purportedly showing Ziobro at Newark Liberty Airport.

Poland's Prosecutor General's Office responded by stating it is verifying information surrounding Ziobro's departure from the Schengen Area. Notably, Polish authorities had previously confiscated Ziobro's Polish passport. Media speculation suggests that Ziobro and his deputy, Marcin Romanowski—also wanted by Polish authorities—might have been issued Geneva Convention travel documents by Hungary.

Further reports from the Polish online portal Onet indicate that Ziobro entered the US on a work visa as a journalist affiliated with the conservative channel Republika. Republika indirectly confirmed this, stating it invited Ziobro to serve as a political commentator in the US. Gazeta Wyborcza has claimed that the visa issuance was personally approved by then-President Donald Trump, given Ziobro and Romanowski’s affiliation with the Law and Justice party (PiS), which maintains close ties with the pro-Trump MAGA movement.

Legal and Political Implications

Waldemar Żurek, Poland’s current Minister of Justice, announced that Warsaw would seek clarifications from the US and Hungary regarding how Ziobro managed to cross borders without valid documentation. Żurek affirmed that Poland will persist in efforts to hold the former minister accountable under Polish law.

"If they (Polish authorities) wish to initiate extradition procedures—please," Ziobro told Republika, adding that the US judicial extradition process is complex.

Ziobro is among several European politicians who found refuge in Hungary during Orbán’s administration after facing legal challenges in their own countries. In Poland, he is wanted for charges including corruption, embezzlement, and abuse of power.

Investigations allege that Ziobro misappropriated funds from a special victims’ compensation budget, including purchasing Israeli spyware Pegasus. Authorities suspect this software was employed to surveil political opponents during PiS's governing period from 2015 to 2023.

In 2024, Hungary granted asylum to Ziobro's deputy, Marcin Romanowski, and nearly a year later, to Ziobro himself. Orbán's government had described the legal actions against these officials as politically motivated persecution.

Following Orbán’s defeat in the April parliamentary elections, Péter Magyar, leader of the opposition party Tisa, reiterated his commitment to preventing Hungary from serving as a haven for foreign criminals and pledged to facilitate the extradition of fugitives like Ziobro. Magyar acknowledged the possibility that these individuals may have already left Hungary.