Ex-Polish Deputy Minister seeks court protection from Transnistria
Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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In the courts
- Former Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Romanowski has requested a "letter of iron" from a Warsaw court, stating he is in Tiraspol, Transnistria.
- Polish officials noted that extradition from Transnistria, a Russian-backed separatist region of Moldova, is practically impossible due to Russian military presence.
- Romanowski claims he will appear in court if granted freedom of movement, while Polish authorities suspect he is evading justice.
Former Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Romanowski has applied for a "letter of iron" from the District Court in Warsaw, indicating his current location as Tiraspol in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova not recognized as a state. Romanowski stated he would appear before the court or prosecutor if granted the right to respond from freedom.
we cannot really demand extradition from authorities with whom we do not have formal contacts.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki commented that Poland cannot demand extradition from Transnistria as it lacks formal contacts with the region's authorities. While a request could be sent to Moldova, which formally governs the territory, Bosacki acknowledged it would be ineffective because Moldova cannot apprehend individuals in Transnistria, which is secured by Russian services and military. He added that if Romanowski is indeed in Transnistria, his movements are significantly restricted.
if Romanowski is indeed in Transnistria, his movements are significantly restricted.
Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister coordinator of special services, highlighted that Transnistria is under Russian control, where European arrest warrants are not applicable. Polish services and prosecutors are seeking information from Moldovan partners, as Moldova formally claims jurisdiction. Siemoniak cautioned against trusting Romanowski, labeling him an "absconder" whose options are narrowing.
it is the task of the services, but I am convinced that Polish services are already doing this and probably have not been doing it since yesterday.
Prosecutor Przemysลaw Nowak of the National Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed receiving a copy of Romanowski's request, which was personally signed and included a specific address in Tiraspol. Romanowski declared his intention to appear in court.
he is an absconder, and after his letter, it can be seen that his room for maneuver and traveling around various countries is shrinking somewhat.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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