Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro vowed on Saturday to pursue “legal and political” action after parliament voted to lift his immunity, clearing the way for prosecutors to bring
26 corruption charges tied to the Justice Fund.
The vote took place Friday in the Sejm, where lawmakers approved the motion enabling investigators to move forward with allegations that millions of złotys were siphoned to groups linked to Ziobro’s political allies.
Speaking from Budapest—where he has been staying for several weeks—Ziobro denied claims he had fled Poland. In an interview with Catholic broadcaster Radio Maryja, he described the case as a politically driven campaign orchestrated by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“I will not reveal all my plans now,” he said. “I will act in ways that are effective in fighting these bad people, and I will not be silenced.”
A leading figure in the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, Ziobro accused prosecutors of fabricating charges “reminiscent of the 1950s,” asserting that his response would be aimed at “restoring freedom and justice” in Poland.
His lawyer has said the former minister has spent more than a year abroad receiving cancer treatment. Prosecutors, however, maintain there are no medical grounds preventing his detention.
The decision to strip him of immunity drew criticism from the president’s office. Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz called the vote “absurd and dangerous,” accusing the government of “weaponising the law.”
According to investigators, Ziobro and his associates diverted Justice Fund resources to politically connected organisations—accusations that PiS politicians dismiss as a political witch hunt.
On social media, Ziobro accused Tusk of staging a “lawless spectacle” to distract from problems in public cancer-care funding, urging media outlets to highlight delays in patient treatment.
Prime Minister Tusk has rejected the allegations of political interference, insisting the case is about “holding politicians accountable when there is reasonable suspicion of serious crimes.” Photo by P. Tracz/ KPRM (P. Tracz/ Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland), Wikimedia commons.