Polish prosecutors have formally requested the temporary arrest and extradition of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro from the U.S. so he could face criminal charges over alleged abuse of power and mismanagement of public funds.
According to a Monday statement from the prosecutor’s office, investigators are seeking to charge Ziobro —who served as justice minister from 2015 to 2023— with 26 offenses, including establishing and leading an organized criminal group, misappropriation of funds, and abuse of power.
The formal extradition request submitted to U.S. authorities covers 19 of the 26 alleged offenses.
The filing comes nine months after the prosecutor general moved to lift Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity, clearing the way for his potential arrest and prosecution. Polish prosecutors accuse Ziobro of leading a criminal network that diverted 150 million zloty ($39.4 million) from the state Justice Fund to purchase Israeli surveillance software, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Ziobro has consistently rejected all allegations against him, framing the ongoing criminal probes and parliamentary investigations as a politically motivated “witch hunt” led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing coalition.
