Fugitive Polish opposition politician attends gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort
Poland submitted a request to the US earlier this year for Zbigniew Ziobro's extradition.
Deported Polish opposition politician Zbigniew Ziobro, who fled his country to avoid prosecution, was spotted at a gala hosted by Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The US president himself was present at the event. The Polish justice minister has expressed hope that the US will cooperate with Poland's extradition request for Ziobro, similar to how Poland would assist an American fugitive on its territory.
The gala, held in conjunction with CPAC, a conservative political conference, saw attendees pay between $2,500 and $7,500 for VIP access. Ziobro, a deputy leader of the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), served as justice minister from 2015 to 2023, overseeing judicial reforms that critics say weakened the rule of law. After PiS lost power in December 2023, prosecutors charged Ziobro with 26 crimes, including leading a criminal group and approving the unlawful acquisition of spyware.
Despite Poland granting him asylum, he fled to the United States in April, reportedly with the assistance of a high-ranking US State Department official. Poland has formally requested the US to detain and extradite Ziobro, who denies the charges and claims they are a political vendetta.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
