Hungary revokes refugee status for Polish ex-justice minister Ziobro and aide, clearing path for US extradition
Budapest has revoked refugee status for former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, his wife, and ex-deputy Marcin Romanowski, raising the prospect of a U.S. extradition battle.
The revocation order
Hungarian authorities have formally withdrawn the refugee status and invalidated the Geneva Convention travel documents of three Polish nationals: former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, his wife Patrycja Kotecka‑Ziobro, and former deputy minister Marcin Romanowski. Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski confirmed the decision on X on Thursday.
I received written confirmation that Hungary has revoked the refugee status of Marcin Romanowski, Zbigniew Ziobro and Patrycja Kotecka‑Ziobro. It also invalidated their travel documents. The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind.
The move comes from the new administration of Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who had pledged to hand the fugitive politicians over to Poland. Romanowski obtained asylum in December 2024 after a Polish arrest warrant and European Arrest Warrant were issued, while Ziobro was granted protection in January 2026.
Ziobro's response from the US
Ziobro, now in the United States as a commentator for Telewizja Republika, dismissed the significance of the Hungarian decision. In remarks to the broadcaster, he insisted his US visa is not dependent on the revoked document.
They don't know that a visa is independent of the document on which it was issued. A visa allows you to function within a given country, for example the United States, regardless of whether that document is currently valid or not.
He said he had not yet consulted his Hungarian lawyer and intends to verify the grounds of the decision, pointing to an appeals process. Ziobro also accused the Polish government of pursuing a politically motivated case.
There is no limit of absurdity that the current authorities would not be able to cross.
Legal implications for extradition
Poland's justice minister and prosecutor general Waldemar Żurek welcomed the Hungarian decision, stating that the government will "use all legal means to bring the fugitives before a Polish court." Legal experts say the loss of asylum status removes a key barrier.
The revocation of political asylum may change Zbigniew Ziobro's situation. If the Polish authorities file for his extradition from the US, he loses the argument that the situation in Poland is so serious that he had to seek asylum in another country. That's a point for the prosecution, which will have to convince the US of the validity of extradition.
If Ziobro's stay in the US becomes undocumented, Polish officials could approach U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to flag an irregular presence.
Whereabouts of the fugitives
Ziobro confirmed on May 10 that he had left Hungary for the United States via Italy, travelling on a work visa after joining Telewizja Republika. The location of Marcin Romanowski remains unknown; speculation points to Serbia, though no evidence has surfaced. His Hungarian travel document has also been invalidated.
- Marcin Romanowski granted asylum in Hungary after a Polish arrest warrant and European Arrest Warrant are issued.
- Zbigniew Ziobro and Patrycja Kotecka‑Ziobro obtain refugee status in Hungary.
- Ziobro confirms he is in the United States, having left Hungary via Italy on a work visa.
- Hungary revokes refugee status and invalidates travel documents for all three individuals.
Diplomatic backdrop
The decision marks a sharp policy reversal after the change of government in Budapest. Viktor Orbán's administration had granted the trio asylum, while Magyar's incoming cabinet moved quickly to nullify those protections. Polish officials view the step as a breakthrough in a lengthy legal pursuit tied to the Justice Fund scandal.
