Hungary grants asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister

Marcin Romanowski, a former deputy minister of Poland, has been granted asylum in Hungary on the grounds of political persecution by the Polish government.

Marcin Romanowski, a former deputy justice minister in Poland, has been granted political asylum in Hungary, according to Gergely Gulyas, the chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Romanowski is currently under investigation in Poland for allegations of misappropriation of public funds. Poland referred to the action as a “hostile act.”

On Thursday, Gulyas verified that the asylum was granted in accordance with both Hungarian and EU laws in an interview with the website “Mandiner.hu.”

The actions of Poland’s government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk were criticized by Gulyas, who accused it of subverting the rule of law. According to Gulyas, the Polish government has created a situation in which it disregards the judgments of its constitutional court and employs criminal law as a weapon against political opponents as a result of the actions of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.

Romanowski, who was apprehended in an investigation into the misappropriation of public funds, was released in mid-July after the president of a European rights assembly declared that he was immune to prosecution as a member of the organization.

According to Gulyas, the arrest of Romanowski in Poland, which was declared unlawful by Polish courts, has raised significant concerns regarding the absence of political bias in Polish legal proceedings and the equitable treatment of persons.

In an article published on X, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated, “We regard the decision to grant political asylum to M. Romanowski, who is suspected of criminal offenses and wanted on a European arrest warrant, as an act hostile to the Republic of Poland and the principles of the European Union.”

In Poland, where allegations of judicial interference and the misuse of legal mechanisms have been at the forefront of political debates, Romanowski’s asylum request underscores the increasing political tensions. Hungary’s decision to grant him asylum may further exacerbate the tensions between the two countries, both of which are significant actors in Central European politics.