**Hungary Grants Asylum to Polish Ex-Justice Minister Amid Corruption Allegations**

In a move that has sparked controversy within the European Union, Hungary has granted political asylum to Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland's former Justice Minister, who is facing 26 charges of embezzlement and corruption. Ziobro, who served as minister from 2015 to 2023 under the previous right-wing PiS-led government, is accused of authorizing the purchase of Israeli-made Pegasus spyware worth $7m (£5.15m) that was allegedly used to hack political opponents' phones.

The decision by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to grant asylum to a citizen of a fellow EU member state goes against the spirit of EU standards, which emphasize cooperation and solidarity among member states. However, this is not the first time Hungary has taken such a step, as last year, Ziobro's former deputy Marcin Romanowski also fled to Budapest seeking protection.

Ziobro denies all charges and claims he is a victim of political persecution. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), he said: "I have decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland." He added, "I have chosen to fight against political banditry and lawlessness. I stand in opposition to a creeping dictatorship," accusing Prime Minister Donald Tusk of waging a "vendetta" against him.

The allegations against Ziobro are severe, including embezzling money from the Justice Fund meant for crime victims and rehabilitating criminals. Instead, he is accused of awarding grants to fire stations and women's associations without proper competition to bolster support for the government. If found guilty, he could face up to 25 years in prison.

The purchase of Pegasus spyware has been a major point of contention, with Poland's current coalition government and a European Parliament investigative team finding that it was used to secretly hack the phones of political opponents, including Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Prime Minister Tusk's wife and daughter. Ziobro is also accused of using the Justice Fund money to fund his party and its allies.

Ziobro was a key figure in the PiS-led government's judiciary reforms, which were criticized by Brussels for violating fundamental EU rules and standards, including the principle of judicial independence. The issue led to a freeze of EU money for Poland and verdicts from the European Court of Justice, which deemed the reforms as unconstitutional.

Orban and the PiS have consistently rejected these rulings, saying they violate Poland's sovereignty and constitute an overreach of Brussels' powers. Hungary's decision to grant asylum to Ziobro raises questions about its commitment to EU standards and cooperation with other member states.

The case has sparked widespread outrage in Poland, with many seeing it as a brazen attempt by the former government officials to avoid accountability for their actions. The Polish authorities have stated that they will continue to investigate and bring those responsible to justice, regardless of where they are hiding.