The Polish Law and Justice Party (PiS) leader Jarosław Kaczyński has strongly criticized calls for the arrest of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro (PiS), highlighting the politician’s serious medical condition.
The controversy stems from a motion submitted by current Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek to the Sejm to waive Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity and authorize his detention.
Kaczyński appeared on Tuesday, November 4th before the Warsaw district court for a separate hearing on a private indictment filed by Civic Coalition MEP Krzysztof Brejza. When asked whether Ziobro should return to Poland from Hungary, where he is believed to be residing, Kaczyński said: “Anyone who demands the arrest, on charges completely unrelated to criminal law, of a seriously, very seriously ill person who is simply facing death, demands their imprisonment, is themselves a criminal.” He added: “Everyone has the right to defend their life, and in this case, it’s about life.”
The PiS leader stressed the severity of Ziobro’s condition, asking: “To be essentially murdered? If someone very seriously ill, who requires constant, very serious medical care, is imprisoned, it’s essentially equivalent to a death sentence.”
As we previously reported, prosecutors have accused Ziobro of 26 alleged crimes, including leading a “criminal group” and misusing 150 million zloty (around €35 million) from the Justice Fund. Authorities are seeking his arrest and pretrial detention due to alleged risks of obstructing justice. Two of his former deputies, Michał Woś and Marcin Romanowski, have also been charged.
Zbigniew Ziobro has denied that he has requested political asylum in Hungary.
