– Today Budapest, tomorrow Moscow. We know where Hungary is today on the political map of Europe – said the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, coordinator of special services, Tomasz Siemoniak, in “Fakty po Faktach”, referring to the granting of international protection to the former deputy minister of justice in the PiS government, Marcin Romanowski, by Viktor Orban's government. – Hungary has such a terrible reputation when it comes to the state of democracy and the rule of law that asylum in Hungary is like asylum in Belarus – he said.
Marcin Romanowski's defense attorney, attorney Bartosz Lewandowski, said on Thursday evening that the government Hungarian granted the request PiS MPformer deputy minister of justice, and “granted him international protection under the Asylum Act” in connection with the persecution his client allegedly suffered. The information was confirmed by the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's office, Viktor Orban.
Minister of Interior and Administration, coordinator of special services Tomasz Siemoniak he assured in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24 that the former deputy minister would answer to the Polish justice system and the investigation into the Justice Fund would continue.
– Contrary to what the lawyer (Romanowski – ed.) claims, the court decided. Not the prosecutor's office, not the government, not politicians, but an independent court and also the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which waived the immunity of Mr. Romanowski, clearly stated with this decision that this case is purely criminal in nature – he added.
Siemoniak did not answer the question whether the services knew Romanowski's whereabouts. He added that the PiS MP was not under surveillance.
– I'm surprised that he decides to take this path. Today Budapest, tomorrow Moscow. We know where Hungary is today on the political map of Europe, the chief noted Ministry of Interior and Administrationtalking about the decision of the former deputy minister of justice from the PiS government to flee to Hungary.
READ ALSO: Romanowski with “international protection” in Hungary. The Polish prosecutor's office comments
Siemoniak about the decision of Orban's government
The minister emphasized that the Hungarian government's decision is contrary to European law. – Here we are dealing with an unprecedented situation when the Hungarian government openly rejects an EU procedure that is simply sacred. There is a European arrest warrant, such a person should be detained and the local court should consider this situation, he said.
– By deciding to take such a confrontational step towards Poland, because it is really saying that “I do not recognize the European arrest warrant” in the case of a person who is not a well-known politician and about whom there is evidence that is convincing to the Council of Europe, to the Polish court, So Orban is betting on a game in which Putin and Russian interests in Europe are somewhere in the background, Siemoniak added.
The minister was also asked what the Polish government intends to do in response to this situation and the behavior of the Hungarian Prime Minister. – Conduct an investigation into the Justice Fund, because these latest facts show that the case may be much more serious – he replied.
– However, the government, the prime minister, will undoubtedly draw conclusions when it comes to Polish-Hungarian relations. Because both Orban's statements and these actions are unacceptable. This is unprecedented in the European Union, he said.
READ ALSO: What about the proceedings? What can the Polish government do? President of the Supreme Bar Council on Romanowski's situation
As the TVN24 guest said, “Hungary also has numerous interests towards Poland, it can also ask to extradite people suspected of crimes, so we will draw conclusions from this situation.” He added that “These statements by Orban show that he is deliberately going to confront Poland at this moment.”
The head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration also said that “Hungary has such a terrible reputation when it comes to the state of democracy and the rule of law that asylum in Hungary is like asylum in Belarus.”
Referring to the claims of the PiS MP's defender that Romanowski's case was politically motivated, Siemoniak said that the wanted man “is clearly defending himself against criminal charges and resorts to saying that this is about politics.”
Siemoniak for Ola S
Siemoniak about Orban: he works in Putin's interests
When asked about Orban's interview in a pro-government Hungarian newspaper, in which he criticized the Polish government, the minister said that such an assessment of another country “is absolutely unacceptable.” – In this case, he is acting in Putin's interests, wanting to influence the situation in Poland – he said.
In the interview, Orban offered “shelter to anyone facing political persecution in their country.” At the same time, he said that in Poland “patriots were thrown out of the government saddle and replaced by the liberal rainbow coalition.”
– What Orban says in this interview means that Orban may be aware that more people are preparing to flee to Hungary from the Polish justice system – added the minister.
The minister asked whether PiS MPs Jan Ardanowski and Krzysztof Szczucki and PiS MEP can benefit from this Daniel Obajtekreplied that “everything is possible in this case.” On Thursday, the attorney general Adam Bodnar sent a motion to the Sejm to waive the immunities of the three mentioned. According to the spokeswoman of the Prosecutor General, Anna Adamiak, the request “precedes the filing of charges.”
Main photo source: TVN24