Skip to content
Adopted text

Request for the waiver of the immunity of Petr Bystron

TA-10-2025-0067 · P10_TA(2025)0067 · PE766.946

Official HTML ↗ DOCX
✦ In shortFull text
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament decided to waive the immunity of Petr Bystron, a Member of the European Parliament, following a request from German authorities in connection with criminal proceedings. The alleged offences include passive corruption, money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, and misuse of parliamentary allowances, linked to pro-Russian activities.

Key points

  1. Parliament waives the immunity of Petr Bystron to allow criminal proceedings to continue.
  2. The request relates to charges of at least six counts of passive corruption, money laundering and fraud, and at least five counts of tax evasion.
  3. Allegations include receiving cash or cryptocurrency from a pro-Russian website operator in exchange for speaking and voting in the national parliament in Russia's interests.
  4. Bystron allegedly deposited and withdrew suspicious sums, and tried to conceal the origin of cash.
  5. He allegedly voted and spoke in the Bundestag in a pro-Russian manner since 2022.
  6. He allegedly misused a flat-rate allowance by employing his lawyer for work not related to his mandate, causing a loss of EUR 97,400.00.
  7. He allegedly submitted incorrect VAT returns, leading to an undue refund of EUR 9,949.17.
  8. The alleged offences occurred before he became a Member of the European Parliament, so they are not covered by parliamentary immunity under Article 8 of Protocol No 7.
  9. Parliament found no evidence of fumus persecutionis, meaning the proceedings are not intended to undermine his political activity.

Who is affected

  • Petr Bystron, Member of the European Parliament, whose immunity is waived, allowing criminal proceedings against him to proceed.
  • The competent authority of the Federal Republic of Germany, which will receive the decision and report.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 97,400.00: loss incurred by Germany due to alleged misuse of flat-rate allowance.
  • EUR 9,949.17: undue VAT refund allegedly paid.

Legal basis: Articles 8 and 9 of Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union, Article 6(2) of the Act of 20 September 1976, and Article 46 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany.