WARSAW

Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro was arrested Friday in Warsaw over allegations that he authorized the use of Pegasus spyware to surveil opposition members while in government.

Ziobro was taken into custody after being interviewed at the headquarters of right-wing broadcaster TV Republika. He was then transported to the investigative committee examining the legality and objectives behind the previous government's use of the spyware between November 2015 and November 2023.

Since taking office in late 2023, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has prioritized investigations into alleged misconduct by the previous nationalist coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party. The Sejm lifted Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity after he repeatedly failed to appear before the Pegasus committee, prompting the committee to request a court order for his detention and forced appearance.

Ziobro, reportedly recovering from cancer for much of 2024, has avoided addressing questions on the Pegasus surveillance scandal. On Friday, he defended his refusal to attend previous hearings, stating that participation “would be engaging in illegal activities and possibly a crime.” He also cited a September 10 ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal that deemed aspects of the committee’s activities unconstitutional.

Authorities allege Ziobro was responsible for authorizing funds for the purchase of Pegasus and overseeing cases in which the software was used. His arrest follows that of former Internal Security Agency (ABW) head Piotr Pogonowski, who was detained earlier this week and brought before the committee.

An estimated 600 people in Poland were targeted for surveillance with Pegasus spyware between 2017 and 2022. The software, developed by Israeli firm NSO Group, allows covert monitoring of mobile phones.

After taking office in December 2023, Tusk’s government vowed to investigate alleged abuses of Pegasus and hold those responsible accountable. A special parliamentary committee was formed in February 2024 to probe the issue. A 2023 European Parliament inquiry concluded that Poland had used Pegasus as part of “a system for the surveillance of the opposition and critics of the government – designed to keep the ruling majority and the government in power.”