Poland readies extradition request for former justice minister hiding in US over Justice Fund scandal

The extradition request

The Polish Prosecutor General's Office has completed a 300-page extradition request for Zbigniew Ziobro, the former justice minister who fled first to Hungary and then to the United States. The document is currently being reviewed by the International Cooperation Bureau of the National Prosecutor's Office and will be translated into English, with transmission expected within a week.

Prosecutor Anna Adamiak, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General, said the request is on the final stage of expedition. "We want to pass it on as soon as possible," she told reporters on July 14.

We want to pass the extradition request as quickly as possible.

The charges and background

Ziobro faces 26 charges including abuse of power, dereliction of duty, and rigging grant competitions related to the Justice Fund, a public program meant to aid crime victims and post-penitentiary support. Investigators allege the money was diverted to organizations tied to his Sovereign Poland party during the Law and Justice government.

The court upheld a temporary arrest warrant for Ziobro on July 1, clearing the path for the extradition process. The written justification of that ruling, received by prosecutors on July 8, was incorporated into the final text of the request.

The flight from Europe

Ziobro initially fled to Hungary after charges were brought, receiving international protection from Viktor Orban's government. However, after a change of government in Budapest, Hungary revoked his refugee status and travel documents. On May 9, the day the new Hungarian cabinet was sworn in, he left Europe, flying from Milan to New York on a "member of foreign media" visa.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski confirmed that Hungary had withdrawn the ex-minister's refugee status and Geneva passport. Polish authorities had already cancelled both his ordinary and diplomatic passports.

The legal twists: ENA refusal and ICE letter

On July 13, the Warsaw Regional Court refused to issue a European Arrest Warrant, arguing prosecutors had not proved Ziobro is on EU territory or plans to travel there. Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek criticised the decision, saying the ENA should still apply as Ziobro could fly back to the EU at any moment.

"We respect the court's decision, but we disagree with this interpretation of law," Żurek stated. He also announced that a second ENA request may be filed after analysing the written ruling.

In parallel, Żurek signed a letter to the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, David Venturelli. The document informs ICE of Ziobro's legal status and the cancelled passports, and also references the Pegasus spyware case involving the hacking of opposition politician Krzysztof Brejza's phone 33 times while Ziobro was justice minister.

What happens next

The extradition file will first undergo a formal review under the Poland-US extradition treaty, then be sent to the Ministry of Justice, which is the competent authority to forward it through diplomatic channels. Separately, the letter to ICE aims to clarify Ziobro's immigration status and potentially facilitate his detention.

"We will send the letter to ICE tomorrow and await the American response," Żurek said. "We primarily ask them to indicate on what basis Zbigniew Ziobro is staying in the United States and what documents he holds."

Prosecutors stress the ENA refusal does not block the extradition process, calling it not a critical decision. The priority remains delivering the request to US authorities as swiftly as possible.