Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s former justice minister and a wanted fugitive, has confirmed he is currently on American soil. The news was reported by Polish outlets Gazeta Wyborcza and TVN24.
According to sources, Ziobro and his wife Patrycja Kocka fled Hungary, where he had until recently enjoyed the protection of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and relocated to the United States. The situation shifted after new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar came to power, with his government launching proceedings to revoke that protection — forcing the former official to leave the country without delay.
Ziobro confirmed his whereabouts in a live broadcast on the right-wing Polish channel Republika, stating that he was in the United States and had arrived the day before. According to media reports, his American visa was secured through the personal intervention of President Donald Trump.
Polish prosecutors are pursuing Ziobro on multiple serious charges. He stands accused of abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds in connection with the so-called Justice Fund case, as well as the illegal use of the Pegasus spyware system to surveil political opponents, journalists and businesspeople. If extradited and convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Ziobro rejects all charges, dismissing them as political persecution orchestrated by incumbent Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry has announced the cancellation of Ziobro’s Polish passports. Warsaw is now weighing the possibility of filing a formal extradition request with the United States.
Zbigniew Ziobro served for years as one of the most senior figures in the governments of the Law and Justice party (PiS) and was a close ally of its leader Jarosław Kaczyński. The Pegasus surveillance scandal has become one of the most explosive political crises in Poland in recent memory, and Polish authorities continue to explore diplomatic avenues to secure the former minister’s return.