But in the case of Hungary it is neither new nor surprising.
Ziobro is the second politician of the former Justice and Law-led government to be granted this status – last year it was his former deputy Michal Romanowski who fled to Budapest to seek protection.
Both are accused of corruption and misusing their power – most notably by using the money of the state-controlled Foundation for Justice which was under their oversight in order to fund their party and its cronies.
Ziobro was justice minister between 2015 and 2023 under the previous right-wing PiS-led government, which is politically aligned to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
If found guilty he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Writing on X, Ziobro said: “I have decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland.”
“I have chosen to fight against political banditry and lawlessness. I stand in opposition to a creeping dictatorship,” Ziobro added, accusing Prime Minister Donald Tusk of waging a “vendetta” against him.