The District Court in Warsaw issued a letter of safe conduct for Marcin Romanowski

On Wednesday, the District Court in Warsaw decided to issue a safe conduct to Romanowski, who has the status of a suspect in the investigation regarding the Justice Fund and has been outside Poland for a long time.

Comment by the Minister of Justice

According to the spokeswoman of the Warsaw District Court, Judge Anna Ptaszek, the court decided that it would be a better decision to issue a letter and clarify the case than to rely on previously ineffective methods. Proc. Piotr Woźniak has already announced he will appeal against this decision.

I have no doubt that the prosecutor's office should complain about this decision, Żurek said on Polsat News after the court's decision was announced.

He pointed out that the court used "a very strange procedural figure when it did not recognize the content of a specific provision, which states that if the prosecutor raises an objection to such an application for a safe conduct, the court is bound by it." It's about art. 281 par. 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, according to which, in preparatory proceedings, a safe conduct may be issued at the request of the prosecutor or in the absence of his objection.

Of course, one may wonder whether this provision is consistent with the constitution or not, but I would advise the court to wait for a possible appeal to the Constitutional Tribunal - emphasized the head of the Ministry of Justice.

As he added, a big problem for him is the fact that the case was ruled by the so-called neo-judge who was nominated in 2021. I want us to look at this decision with some distance. I have a big problem with this, because we have people who make very controversial decisions, and their titles of appointment and their behavior during the so-called rule of law crisis, were very questionable. So unfortunately in this case, in my opinion, it may cast a shadow on the court's procedural decision - said the prosecutor general.

Żurek noted that probably no one expected this type of decision, which says: "the regulation exists, but I will not apply it."

What is a safe conduct letter and how does it work?

A safe conduct is a document that gives a suspect or accused person the opportunity to respond freely, provided that he or she submits a declaration to appear on time when summoned by the court or prosecutor's office. A person to whom such a document has been issued may not leave his chosen place of residence in the country without the court's permission, nor may he unlawfully obstruct criminal proceedings.

What does the prosecutor's office accuse Marcin Romanowski of?

In connection with the investigation into irregularities in the Justice Fund, the prosecutor's office accuses Romanowski, former deputy head of the Ministry of Justice during the PiS era, of, among others, participation in an organized criminal group and rigging competitions for money from this fund. The Warsaw district court issued a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for Romanowski - at the request of the prosecutor's office. An arrest warrant was also issued for the former deputy head of the Ministry of Justice.

In December 2024, it turned out that Romanowski had been granted political asylum in Hungary. As reported at the beginning of July this year, Hungary withdrew his refugee status and invalidated his travel documents. Since the change of government in Hungary in May 2026, the media have provided various unofficial information about Romanowski's possible whereabouts.