Hungary followed procedure when granting asylum to Polish opposition figure says Orban

Record ID: 1891156

  • Title: Hungary followed procedure when granting asylum to Polish opposition figure says Orban
  • Date: 21st December 2024
  • Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (FILE - JUNE 20, 2024) (REUTERS) ‘SEJM’ THE LOWER HOUSE OF THE POLISH PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF POLISH FLAG WAVING ON SEJM ROOF WARSAW, POLAND (FILE - JANUARY 16, 2024) (REUTERS) POLISH LAWMAKERS IN SEJM CHAMBER POLISH NATIONAL EMBLEM BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (FILE - JUNE 19, 2024) (REUTERS) DAWN OVER CITY CENTRE VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING HUNGARIAN FLAG ON PARLIAMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF VIEWS OF HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE ACROSS DANUBE BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (FILE - JUNE 20, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
  • Embargoed: 4th January 2025 14:16
  • Keywords: Hungarian Prime Minister Michal Romanowski Polish former minister Viktor Orban political asylum
  • Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY / WARSAW, POLAND
  • City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY / WARSAW, POLAND
  • Country: Hungary
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA005878821122024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hungary defended itself on Saturday (December 21) after Poland accused it of committing a "hostile act" when granting asylum to a former Polish minister under investigation over accusations of misuse of public funds.
    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the decision to grant asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski was based on a thorough procedure.
    Romanowski was detained in a probe into the misuse of public funds and released in July after the president of a European rights assembly said he had immunity as a member of the body. He denies the accusations against him.
    Budapest announced the decision on Thursday (December 19) saying the Polish government was hounding its political opponents, deepening the rift between the former allied countries.
    Poland said the asylum was contrary to European Union principles and summoned the Hungarian ambassador to the foreign ministry in Warsaw on Friday (December 20) to hand him a formal protest note.
    Asked specifically whether he expected more Polish politicians to request political asylum in Hungary, Orban said he did not believe Romanowski's case would be the last.
    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it has opened the way for prosecutors to investigate wrongdoing under Poland's previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, which left office in 2023, that would previously have been covered up.
    Polish opposition lawmakers including Romanowski have also accused Tusk's government of engaging in a politically motivated witchhunt.
    Orban was an ally of the PiS government, with both countries having EU funds frozen over rule of law concerns and Orban has told Hungarian media Tusk's government considers Hungarians to be enemies.
    (Production: Krisztina Fenyo, Lewis Macdonald)
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