“Mr. Tusk, you are responsible for this entire spectacle of slander and threats. If anything happens to my loved ones or to my defense counsel, full responsibility will fall on you,” wrote former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro on social media.
A prosecutor has issued a decision to search for former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro under a wanted notice. The wanted notice, including the image and personal details of the Law and Justice (PiS) MP, was published on the website of the Warsaw Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Despite the fact—openly acknowledged by the politician himself—that Ziobro is staying in Hungary, where he has been granted political asylum, the notice was issued.
That is not all. On Tuesday, the prosecutor applied to the Regional Court in Warsaw for the issuance of a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) against Ziobro.
On Thursday, one of the politician’s defense lawyers, attorney Bartosz Lewandowski, informed the public via social media about threats he has been receiving for some time. “Quite regularly, I receive threats in my email inbox and on social media—not only directed at me as defense counsel for opposition politicians, but also at Minister Ziobro and his family (including children),” he wrote.
Ziobro to Tusk: You are responsible for this
Referring to attorney Lewandowski’s statements, Zbigniew Ziobro today published his own post regarding the threats. “Recently, I have been receiving numerous threats, including death threats. In the streets of Warsaw, posters have even appeared offering money for Zbigniew Ziobro—dead or alive,” he stated.
The former justice minister claims that “after taking power, Donald Tusk has deliberately unleashed an atmosphere of hatred in Poland. He directs it against Law and Justice, particularly against me. He is diverting Poles’ attention from his incompetence, from the drastic rise in energy prices and the catastrophic situation in the healthcare system.”
“Until now, I did not react to threats because they concerned only me. However, this time the threats were also directed at my child and at my defense counsel—attorney Bartosz Lewandowski,” the politician added.
He also announced that he has decided to file a motion seeking prosecution of those responsible for the threats.
“However, I have no illusions that the leadership of the unlawfully taken-over prosecutor’s office will respond appropriately. They became heads of the prosecutor’s office solely thanks to the criminal decisions of Tusk and his associates. And they owe him obedience. It is these politicians who falsely accuse me. They charge me with acts I did not commit. To lend credibility to their lies, they violate investigative and judicial procedures. They even destroy a judge if he issues a ruling not aligned with the ruling party’s political line. Around this fabricated trial, they have unleashed a smear campaign dripping with hatred,” Ziobro continued.
At the end, he addressed the head of government directly: “Mr. Tusk, you are responsible for this entire spectacle of slander and threats. If anything happens to my loved ones or to my defense counsel, full responsibility will fall on you.”