Extradition proceedings have been initiated by Poland against former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who is wanted over allegations of misusing funds intended for crime victims.
Poland has formally requested the extradition of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro from the United States to face trial over allegations that funds earmarked for crime victims were diverted for political purposes.
The request, announced on Monday by Poland’s public prosecutor’s office, marks a significant development in the legal proceedings against the former senior government official.
According to prosecutors, Ziobro faces 26 criminal charges, most of which relate to the alleged misuse of money from a fund established to support victims of crime. Authorities are seeking his return to Poland to answer the charges in court.
Ziobro has denied all allegations, insisting that the case is politically motivated and driven by Poland’s current pro-European Union governing coalition.
He served as Justice Minister and was a key architect of judicial reforms introduced under the former Law and Justice Party (PiS) government between 2015 and 2023.
Those reforms attracted strong criticism from the European Union, which argued they weakened judicial independence in Poland.
In a statement, the public prosecutor’s office confirmed that the extradition request had been formally transmitted through diplomatic channels to the relevant authorities in the United States.
“A request for pre-trial detention and extradition of Ziobro was transmitted through diplomatic channels to the competent authorities of the United States of America,” the statement said.
Ziobro and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, were previously granted asylum in Hungary under the country’s former nationalist administration.
According to reports, Ziobro travelled to the United States on May 9, the same day Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, assumed office after pledging to revoke their refugee status.
Reports also claimed that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau directed senior officials to facilitate and approve a visa for Ziobro.
The current whereabouts of Romanowski remain unknown.
The extradition request is expected to trigger legal and diplomatic processes between Poland and the United States as authorities pursue the former minister over the alleged misuse of public funds.
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