Poland has formally requested the extradition of former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro from the United States, marking the latest step in the pursuit of one of the most prominent figures of the former conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government.
The request, submitted through diplomatic channels by the current justice minister, Waldemar Żurek, asks U.S. authorities to return Ziobro to Poland to face criminal proceedings.
Ziobro, who served as justice minister from 2015 to 2023, is accused, among other things, of leading an organised criminal group, abuse of office, directing subordinates to break the law, and misusing the Justice Fund, a state programme established to compensate victims of crime.
Writing on X after the extradition request was announced, Ziobro accused liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government of publicly prejudging his guilt before any independent court had ruled on the case. He said the proceedings were an act of political revenge and that Poland’s justice system had been weaponised against the country’s conservative opposition.
This is how a government acts that, to achieve its political goals, is ready to unlawfully use the entire state apparatus against its opponents.
Ziobro also said he had “deep respect” for American democracy and trusts U.S. institutions to impartially examine not only the allegations against him but also the political context of the prosecution.
Ziobro fled Poland for Hungary after parliament lifted his immunity from prosecution last year. The government of then-prime minister Viktor Orbán granted him political asylum, but following a change of government in Budapest this May, Ziobro left Hungary for the United States. Hungary has since revoked his refugee status.
The extradition request will first be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice to determine whether it complies with the Polish-U.S. extradition treaty. If accepted, the case will be referred to a U.S. federal court to assess whether extradition is legally permissible. Any favourable court ruling would then require a final decision by the U.S. Secretary of State.
Prosecution spokeswoman Anna Adamiak said the process could take anything from several months to a few years, depending on the complexity of the case, stressing that extradition proceedings do not determine guilt or innocence.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged that the outcome ultimately depends on cooperation from Washington. Asked about the chances of Ziobro’s return, Tusk quipped that the question should be addressed to “the other Donald,” a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Despite the severe rule-of-law violations committed by the Tusk government, including the arrests of ex-ministers, the lifting of MPs’ immunity, and the seizure of public media and the prosecutor’s office, EU institutions have remained silent—the same EU institutions that had willingly berated the previous conservative Polish government and deprived it of EU funds.
