Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has filed a formal complaint accusing current Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek of committing a criminal offence by unlawfully disclosing confidential prosecutorial documents to the media.
The move marks the latest escalation in the campaign of political persecution by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s left-liberal government.
The controversy erupted after the broadcaster TVN24 published a 159-page prosecutorial request to lift Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity and authorise his arrest.
The leaked document allegedly detailed 26 criminal charges against Ziobro, including claims that he led a “criminal group” and misused public funds under the previous conservative Law and Justice (PiS)-led government.
The leak occurred before either members of parliament or Ziobro himself had officially received the document, prompting accusations of procedural violations and political manipulation.
Ziobro argues that Żurek’s office unlawfully transmitted confidential material to journalists, undermining both the integrity of the investigation and his right to defend himself against “fabricated accusations.”
Żurek, a former judge and long-time political ally of Prime Minister Tusk, defended his actions, claiming that “no one is above the law” and that Ziobro, “like any ordinary citizen, must face justice.”
Yet his remarks—especially his insistence that the former minister could face up to 25 years in prison—have drawn criticism for pre-judging guilt and disregarding the presumption of innocence.
The parliament’s regulatory commission is scheduled to convene on Thursday, November 6, to consider the motion to lift Ziobro’s immunity and approve his pretrial detention.
Ziobro has publicly declared that he will not waive his immunity voluntarily: “I will not be surrendering anything. This is a politically motivated case driven by vengeance, not justice.”
Senior figures from the conservative PiS party have rallied behind Ziobro.
PiS parliamentary leader Mariusz Błaszczak accused the Tusk government of turning Poland into a “satrapy” where “the prime minister dictates verdicts to the courts.”
The campaign against Ziobro follows a broader pattern of retribution against the conservative opposition.
Former deputy ministers of justice Michał Woś and Marcin Romanowski have already faced prosecution, with Romanowski seeking asylum in Hungary after Budapest determined he would not receive a fair trial in Poland.
Speculation has also emerged that Ziobro himself could attempt to flee to Hungary, but the former minister, who recently took part in a film screening in Budapest detailing the Tusk government’s abuses, has denied the rumours.
At the event, Ziobro said: “During our time in power, we provided state funds to conservative organisations which had long been excluded from donations—this was something the Tusk government did not like, and that is why we are being persecuted.”
Despite the European Commission’s earlier outrage over alleged “rule-of-law” violations under PiS, Brussels has remained conspicuously silent as the Tusk government centralises control over the judiciary and public media.
