Hungary has granted political asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski — who faces a probe in Poland over accusations of misuse of public funds — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said late on Thursday, local time.
The move set up a rare legal dispute between two European Union member states, with Poland calling it a “hostile act”.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government says it has opened the way for prosecutors to investigate wrongdoing under the previous government that left office in 2023.
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Mr Romanowski, former deputy justice minister from 2019 to 2023, is accused of 11 different offences by Polish prosecutors.
Charges against him include participation in an organised crime group and attempted embezzlement of funds totalling almost 40 million euros ($67 million) from a fund for crime victims, which he supervised.
Opposition politicians including Mr Romanowski have accused Mr Tusk’s government of engaging in a politically motivated witch-hunt.
Mr Romanowski has denied the accusations against him.
He was detained in the probe but released in July after the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said he had immunity as a member of the body.
Romanowski fled to Hungary after immunity revoked
Viktor Orban’s Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas said Mr Romanowski’s refugee status was in line with EU law. (AFP: Attila Kisbenedek)
Mr Romanowski disappeared 12 days ago after PACE revoked his immunity and a court ordered his arrest.
His lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, confirmed on X that he requested asylum in Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas said the country gave refugee status Mr Romanowski “with accordance to Hungarian and EU law”.
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“This is a political asylum, which can be granted if someone’s legal case is not guaranteed to be dealt with impartially and free from political influence in their home country beyond reasonable doubt,” Mr Gulyas told a local news site.
“This risk exists today in Poland in general and in particular in this individual case.
“The actions of Tusk’s government have created a situation where the Polish government disregards its constitutional court’s rulings … and uses criminal law as a tool against political opponents.”
Mr Orban is a close ally of the right-wing Law and Justice party, which was ousted from power by the Tusk government following last year’s elections.
Hungary’s asylum offer deemed ‘hostile act’
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called Hungary’s decision a “hostile act”. (Reuters: Nadja Wohlleben)
Poland has summoned Hungary’s ambassador and recalled its envoy for consultations to protest Budapest’s “hostile act” of granting asylum to Mr Romanowski, Warsaw said on Friday.
“The Hungarian ambassador in Poland will be summoned today … to receive an official protestation from the Polish side … in parallel the foreign minister has decided to recall Poland’s ambassador in Hungary for consultations,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“There will be no Polish ambassador in Budapest because he will be on indefinite consultations in Warsaw,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The ministry said that if Hungary failed to fulfil its European obligations, Poland would request that the European Commission initiate proceedings against it.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on X that the government considered the decision to grant Mr Romanowski asylum “as an act hostile to” Poland and the EU.
“No-one doubts in this case that those who stole, those who are corrupt, seek refuge in countries and under the wings of politicians who are very similar to themselves,” Mr Tusk added.
Reuters/AFP
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Publish date : 2024-12-20 02:21:00
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