What should Zbigniew Ziobro do now, in light of the charges and Judge Żurek’s request to lift his immunity? “That is a sovereign decision of the minister. I know one thing – as a lawyer, I would tell him: ‘Mr. Minister, today, in this Poland, in Tusk and Żurek’s fighting democracy, there are no guarantees of an independent court that will act in accordance with the law, and the prosecution service and prosecutors – not all, because many work honestly – act on political orders,'” said Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.
On Tuesday, the prosecution announced that it had submitted a request to the Sejm for consent to hold former Minister of Justice and Law and Justice (PiS) MP Zbigniew Ziobro criminally liable. The motion also concerns his detention and arrest.
The spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, Anna Adamiak, stated that “there is a sufficiently justified suspicion that Ziobro committed 26 crimes, and these acts are closely related to his function as Minister of Justice, who was also the administrator of funds from the Justice Fund.“ She added: “There is a serious concern that Zbigniew Ziobro will not participate in procedural activities, will attempt to avoid or limit his responsibility; there is a fear of flight and obstruction.“
“These are people thirsty for revenge. They see in me the man who supervised important investigations targeting Donald Tusk’s circle,“ said Zbigniew Ziobro, commenting on the actions of the current ruling camp.
On October 27, Zbigniew Ziobro posted that he had been invited to Hungary.
“I was invited today to Budapest to show our Hungarian friends what a government looks like when its prime minister is appointed by Brussels. It is a system where laws are violated, legal court presidents are removed, and citizens are deprived of the right to random allocation of judges. Now it is the rulers who appoint trusted judges, and verdicts – just like under communism – are arranged over the phone. The film ‘The Takeover’ will show how Tusk’s people forcefully stormed public media, cut off the TV signal, and seized assets worth billions, turning the media into a mouthpiece for their party’s propaganda. We will show Hungarians that sovereignty, values, and national identity protect them from what is happening in Poland today – from legal chaos, rising energy prices, and the blockade of development projects. They will learn how Tusk, Brussels’ nominee, promised everything during the campaign – and then deceived Poles,“ Ziobro wrote.
Should the minister return to Poland?
“Should Minister Ziobro return to Poland?“ – asked Andrzej Gajcy directly on air on TV Republika, addressing Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.
“That is a sovereign decision of the minister. I know one thing – as a lawyer, I would tell him: ‘Mr. Minister, today, in this Poland, in Tusk and Żurek’s fighting democracy, there are no guarantees of an independent court that will act in accordance with the law, and the prosecution service and prosecutors – not all, because many work honestly – act on political orders,’“ said Bogucki.
In December 2024, Marcin Romanowski, a former Deputy Minister of Justice wanted by the prosecution under Minister Bodnar, received political asylum in Hungary.
When asked what Zbigniew Ziobro should do in the face of a possible lifting of his immunity, Law and Justice (PiS) MP Przemysław Czarnek said that the former minister “should use all legal avenues and remedies available to him.“ He added: “We have a duty to support Zbigniew Ziobro. I hope he will also be supported by the Volunteer Fire Service (OSP) and local women’s associations that received equipment from the Justice Fund to serve society. People received equipment for public purposes – fire trucks are not standing in private garages; they are used to extinguish fires and save lives. That’s why I ask people to protest against such false information. (…) I will not suggest other solutions. Zbigniew Ziobro’s situation is so complex, given his terrible illness, that I am not able to advise him on any course of action,“ he added.