Democracy Digest: Is Former Polish Justice Minister Headed Into Budapest Exile?
In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has tightened his control over the media after the country’s largest tabloid, Blikk, was acquired by a pro-government publisher. Meanwhile, the far-right leader was elected speaker of the Czech Republic’s lower house, and Slovakia is experiencing a rise in petty theft following changes to its criminal code.
Poland's Political and Legal Turmoil
The net continues to tighten around politicians from Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS), accused of bending rules during their 2015–2023 tenure. On Thursday, the parliamentary affairs committee began deliberations on lifting immunity for former justice minister and PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro. He faces accusations of abusing his position, some of which he has mostly admitted.
- Ziobro allegedly diverted millions of euros from a crime prevention and victim support fund to the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA).
- The CBA used these funds to purchase the Pegasus surveillance software.
- An indictment was filed in October against Michal Wos, one of Ziobro’s deputy ministers, related to this case.
At the end of September, Polish police removed Ziobro from a plane at the airport and escorted him to testify before the parliamentary commission investigating the use of Pegasus spyware under the previous PiS government.
"The National Prosecutor's Office wants to bring 26 charges against Ziobro, with the most serious alleging he headed a criminal group operating within his ministry that favoured entities related to the justice minister," according to a 158-page document sent to the parliament’s speaker, Euronews reported.
Ziobro's legal challenges highlight ongoing efforts to hold former officials accountable for misuse of power and funds within Poland’s justice system.
Author’s summary: Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro faces multiple legal charges, reflecting growing accountability for alleged abuses by PiS politicians during their rule from 2015 to 2023.
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