Hungary’s government, led by Viktor Orbán, has granted asylum to Poland’s former conservative justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, who alleges he has faced political persecution from the current government in Warsaw.
The election of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in 2023 was heralded by pro-EU supporters as a return to normalcy after nearly a decade under the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. However, his tenure has included the prosecution of political rivals and critical media.
Ziobro stated that he felt he was the victim of a “personal vendetta” by Tusk due to his past role as attorney general and for initiating investigations into corruption. He claims that Tusk’s administration has adopted “Stalinist” tactics, including attempts to reduce the independence of judges and the random assignment of judicial cases.
Additionally, Ziobro mentioned that Tusk’s allies threatened to prosecute his wife over bonuses linked to her role at Link 4 Insurance Company, arguing they were using her as leverage, thus he sought asylum for her as well.
“I refuse to let my children be taken from their mother’s care or allow my wife to suffer from Tusk’s revenge. Hence, I have requested international protection for her. The current regime in Poland will face severe repercussions for their extreme actions. I am committed to fighting for justice,” Ziobro expressed.
A former justice minister in Poland, Ziobro faces up to 25 years in prison due to his involvement in purchasing Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to surveil political opponents during the previous administration.
Tomasz Siemoniak, a former interior minister and ally of Tusk, criticized Ziobro’s asylum request as indicative of his failure, calling it a cowardly escape from Poland’s justice system.
Soon after Tusk’s party regained power, tensions escalated, with police conducting a dramatic raid at the presidential palace, then controlled by the outgoing Law and Justice party. This resulted in the arrests of two former officials, who had previously received pardons from then-President Duda.
This incident followed Tusk’s government shutting down conservative television stations and swiftly replacing leadership in public broadcasters believed to have favored the previous administration—a move that was largely applauded by Western media as support for Tusk’s Liberal government.
The response to these actions drew criticism from figures like ex-Senator J.D. Vance, who voiced concerns over the Biden administration’s lack of pressure on Tusk’s government to uphold media freedoms and the rule of law.
