He was granted asylum by Viktor Orbán’s government. He thought he was safe. Then Orbán lost the election. Hungary’s new prime minister made a promise: no more protection for wanted fugitives.
Now, Poland’s former justice minister is in America.
Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted on several criminal charges in his home country, has fled to the United States, he confirmed on Sunday. “I am in the United States,” Ziobro told right-wing Polish broadcaster Republika. “I arrived yesterday, and this is my third time travelling around the country.”
The Charges He Faces
Ziobro faces up to 25 years in prison in Poland if convicted of the charges laid against him. They include abuse of power, leading an organized criminal enterprise, and using funds meant for crime victims to buy Israeli Pegasus spyware — allegedly to monitor political opponents.
He has rejected the charges, accusing the centrist Polish government of conducting a witch-hunt against conservatives. But the Polish government is not backing down. The current justice minister, Waldemar Zurek, has already signaled that extradition proceedings will follow.
Ziobro was the leader of the ultra-conservative Sovereign Poland party, a junior coalition partner of the nationalist Law and Justice party. He served as justice minister and attorney general between 2015 and 2023. He is also known as the architect of contentious judicial reforms, which sparked a standoff between Poland and the European Commission.
His time in power made him a powerful ally. His time out of power has made him a fugitive.
The Hungarian Reversal
After Orbán’s party was ousted from power in an election in April, Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar — who was sworn in on Saturday — said that Hungary would no longer protect people wanted elsewhere.
“Hungary will no longer be a dumping ground for internationally wanted criminals,” he told journalists the day after his victory, naming as examples Ziobro and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, suspected of embezzling nearly 40 million euros.
The message was unambiguous. Under Orbán, Hungary had become a safe haven for certain fugitives. Under Magyar, that policy is over. Ziobro understood the message immediately. He left.
The Republika broadcaster reported earlier on Sunday that Ziobro was in the US, while liberal broadcaster TVN24 published a photo of Ziobro at Newark Liberty International Airport, which it said had been taken by another traveler. The image is grainy. The identification is clear. A wanted man walked through an American airport.
How Did He Get There?
It is unclear how Ziobro managed to travel to the US, as Poland had previously said his travel documents — including his Polish and diplomatic passports — had been revoked. A man without valid travel documents does not simply board a transatlantic flight.
Local news site Onet reported that Ziobro had received a US journalist visa linked to Republika. The broadcaster, aligned with the Polish right, later announced it had hired the ex-justice minister as its political commentator in the US.
That is a significant development. A journalist visa is not a political asylum claim. It does not grant protection from extradition. But it does allow entry. And once Ziobro is on American soil, removing him becomes a matter of international law, not immigration policy.
The current Polish justice minister, Waldemar Zurek, wrote on X that Poland “will reach out to the USA and Hungary with questions regarding the legal basis that enabled Zbigniew Ziobro to enter the United States despite lacking valid documents.”
“We will not cease our efforts to ensure that he and Mr. Marcin Romanowski are held accountable before the Polish justice system,” he said. Earlier, Zurek told the Polsat broadcaster: “If it is confirmed that Ziobro is in the USA, then [Poland] will request his extradition.”
Ziobro’s Response
Asked by Republika about his potential extradition, Ziobro replied: “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,” he added, calling extradition cases in US courts “a demanding procedure.”
That is not the language of a man who is hiding. It is the language of a man who believes he can win — or at least delay — in an American courtroom. Whether that confidence is justified is another question. Extradition treaties between the US and Poland are well established. The charges Ziobro faces are serious. A US judge would have to determine whether they are politically motivated, as Ziobro claims, or legitimate criminal allegations.
The Polish government says they are legitimate. Ziobro says they are a witch-hunt. An American court may soon have to decide.
The Bottom Line
Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s former justice minister, wanted on criminal charges including abuse of power and leading an organized criminal enterprise, has fled to the United States. He had been granted asylum by the former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. After Orbán lost the election, new Prime Minister Péter Magyar declared that Hungary would no longer protect internationally wanted criminals, naming Ziobro specifically.
Ziobro confirmed he is in the US, telling Polish broadcaster Republika that he arrived on Saturday. It is unclear how he traveled, as Poland said his passports had been revoked. Reports suggest he obtained a US journalist visa linked to Republika, which has hired him as a political commentator.
Poland’s justice minister said the country will request extradition. Ziobro said he is ready to appear before an American court, calling extradition “a demanding procedure.” The Polish government says it will not cease its efforts to hold him accountable. But for now, a wanted man is walking free in America.
