Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland's former justice minister who had been sheltering in Hungary to avoid criminal prosecution at home, has confirmed he has travelled to the United States, arriving at Newark Liberty International airport near New York. Speaking on Sunday to Republika, a right-wing Polish broadcaster, Ziobro said: "I am in the United States. I arrived yesterday, and this is my third time travelling around the country." The broadcaster later announced it had hired Ziobro as a political commentator based in the US — a role apparently linked to the journalist visa that reportedly enabled him to enter the country.
Ziobro, who served as justice minister and attorney general in Poland between 2015 and 2023 under the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party — and led the ultra-conservative Sovereign Poland party, a junior coalition partner — faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges that include abuse of power, leading an organised criminal enterprise, and misusing funds intended for crime victims to purchase Israeli-made Pegasus spyware, allegedly to surveil political opponents. He has consistently rejected the charges, describing them as a politically motivated witch-hunt by Poland's current centrist government against conservatives.
His departure from Hungary was precipitated by a change of government in Budapest. Viktor Orbán, who had granted Ziobro asylum earlier this year, was ousted from power in an April election. Hungary's new prime minister, Péter Magyar, who was sworn in on Saturday, swiftly signalled a break from his predecessor's approach. "Hungary will no longer be a dumping ground for internationally wanted criminals," Magyar declared after his election victory, specifically naming Ziobro and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, the latter suspected of embezzling nearly 40 million euros.
The circumstances of Ziobro's travel to the US have raised urgent legal questions. Polish authorities had previously revoked his travel documents, including both his Polish and diplomatic passports. Poland's current justice minister, Waldemar Zurek, announced on social media platform X that Warsaw would contact both Washington and Budapest to seek clarification on "the legal basis that enabled Zbigniew Ziobro to enter the United States despite lacking valid documents," and confirmed that Poland would pursue extradition if his presence there was confirmed.
Ziobro himself appeared unfazed by the extradition threat, telling Republika: "I am ready to appear before any court, and an American independent court is certainly an independent court. If they want to initiate extradition proceedings, by all means" — adding pointedly that such proceedings in US courts are "a demanding procedure." Beyond the immediate legal drama, the case carries broader significance: Ziobro was the architect of sweeping judicial reforms during his tenure that triggered a prolonged standoff between Poland and the European Commission, which argued the changes undermined the rule of law. His flight to the US underscores the ongoing political turbulence surrounding accountability for actions taken during that era.