Poland on Monday formally requested the extradition of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro from the United States over allegations of misusing funds intended for crime victims.
The public prosecutor’s office said Ziobro faces 26 charges, most of them related to claims that money from a victims’ support fund was used for political purposes.
Authorities are seeking to bring Ziobro to trial over the allegations.
He was a leading figure in judicial reforms carried out under the former conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) government between 2015 and 2023, which the European Union criticised for undermining judicial independence.
Ziobro has rejected the accusations, saying he is being targeted in a politically driven case by Poland’s pro-EU governing coalition.
“A request for pre-trial detention and extradition of Ziobro was transmitted through diplomatic channels to the competent authorities of the United States of America,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Ziobro and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, were granted asylum in Hungary under the previous nationalist government.
Reports said Ziobro fled to the United States on May 9, the same day Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who had promised to withdraw their refugee status, took office.
It was also reported that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau directed senior officials to facilitate and approve a visa for Ziobro.
Romanowski’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
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