Hungary grants asylum to former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro as he faces embezzlement charges

BBC
BBC
14h ago
Hungary granted political asylum to former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces 26 embezzlement-related charges in Poland and says he is a victim of political persecution.
Hungary grants asylum to former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro as he faces embezzlement charges
A What happened
Hungary granted political asylum to Poland’s former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who is facing 26 charges connected to embezzling money from a fund meant for crime victims and rehabilitating criminals. Ziobro is accused of authorising the purchase of Pegasus spyware that was allegedly used to hack political opponents’ phones, and he says he is a victim of political persecution. Ziobro wrote on X that he accepted asylum granted by Hungary due to political persecution in Poland and accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of waging a vendetta against him. Ziobro served as justice minister from 2015 to 2023 under the Law and Justice-led government aligned with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and he could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.

Key insights

  • 1

    Asylum within the EU is framed as contrary to EU standards: Granting asylum to a citizen of a fellow EU member state is stated to go against the spirit of EU standards.

  • 2

    Hungary has granted asylum to two former Polish government figures: Ziobro is the second politician from the former Law and Justice-led government to be granted asylum in Hungary, with Marcin Romanowski receiving protection last year.

  • 3

    Judiciary reforms under Ziobro triggered EU legal and financial consequences: Ziobro’s judiciary reforms led to a conflict with Brussels, a freeze of EU money for Poland, and European Court of Justice verdicts finding violations of EU rules including judicial independence.

Takeaways

Hungary has granted asylum to Zbigniew Ziobro while Polish authorities pursue embezzlement-related charges that include allegations tied to Pegasus spyware and Justice Fund grant decisions.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation International Affairs Governance Corruption & Accountability Law & Public Safety Crime & Justice

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