Former Polish minister sought for embezzlement confirms being in United States

Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro is facing up to 25 years in prison for allegedly diverting funds meant for crime victims to acquire the Pegasus spyware, supposedly to monitor political opponents.

Zbigniew Ziobro, who had sought refuge in Hungary under Viktor Orbán, confirmed he is now in the United States. He stated, “I am in the United States,” in an interview with the Polish conservative television channel Republika.

The former Justice Minister risks up to 25 years in prison for diverting funds to acquire the Pegasus spyware. Ziobro served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Law and Justice (PiS) party governments from 2015 to 2023. He denies the allegations against him and accuses the current centrist government of conducting a witch hunt against conservatives.

In January 2026, Ziobro announced he and his wife had obtained asylum in Hungary. However, following his victory in April, the new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar vowed not to offer refuge to individuals sought by international justice. Magyar specifically mentioned Ziobro and his deputy Marcin Romanowski, who is suspected of misappropriating nearly 40 million euros.

Poland plans to contact the United States and Hungary to seek clarification on how Ziobro entered the US without valid documents, according to Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek.

Poland had previously revoked Ziobro’s travel documents, including his Polish and diplomatic passports. Zurek reiterated that Poland will not stop pursuing Ziobro and Romanowski until they face justice in Poland.

Zbigniew Ziobro was behind a series of controversial judicial reforms that led to tension between Poland and the European Commission, which criticized the reforms for undermining the rule of law and the balance of power.

When asked about the possibility of extradition, Ziobro told Republika that he is prepared to appear in any court, including an independent American court. He described the extradition process in American courts as demanding.