Poland's Sejm strips former justice minister Ziobro of immunity amid European Arrest Warrant push

The Polish Sejm voted on 19 June to lift former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity. The motion passed with 238 votes in favour, 198 against, and 436 deputies present.

The National Prosecutor’s Office has asked a Warsaw district court to issue a European Arrest Warrant (ENA) for Ziobro, who has been residing in the United States since May. Prosecutors argue the ENA is necessary should he return to any EU member state, citing his previous stays in Hungary, Belgium and other EU countries.

Legal experts are divided on whether an ENA can be issued while the suspect is outside the EU. The court is reviewing the request, and the prosecutor emphasized that without an ENA “there is no legal basis for international searches or to prevent the suspect from leaving the Schengen area.”

Ziobro faces a criminal investigation into alleged irregularities in the Justice Fund. He has publicly criticised the current national prosecutor, Dariusz Korneluk, and vowed to pursue his accountability.