FIDES has added Áron Orbán, the brother of party leader Viktor Orbán, to its list of „political prisoners“. This brings the number of names on it to five, although its brief description still states that four people are in custody or pre-trial detention.
The list also includes Balázs Bus, Balázs Hanko, Miklós Sécsák and Veronika Varga-Bajusz. According to FIDES’ description, Bus, Hanko and Varga-Bajusz were detained in a case involving the improper allocation of 17 billion forints from the National Cultural Fund. Sécsák is suspected in a corruption case linked to the „Volánbusz“ bus company.
The investigation into Áron Orbán
Áron Orbán was detained on November 9 along with three other people. The National Investigation Bureau announced that, following the interrogations, it had detained all the suspects and requested that they remain in custody. Detentions and searches were carried out at four locations in Budapest, Fót and Dunakeszi in connection with the case.
According to investigators, the four men helped Vietnamese citizens reach Western Europe over several months in 2024. They allegedly assisted them in obtaining visas through short-term training courses in Hungary, while collecting a fee for recruiting participants. The National Investigation Bureau said that this enabled assistance to be provided to more than 100 Vietnamese citizens.
The four are suspected of human trafficking committed by a criminal association for financial gain. One of the men is also being investigated for influence peddling as an instigator, the National Investigation Bureau announced. The allegations are at the pre-trial investigation stage and do not constitute proven guilt.
FIDES’ reaction
In its description of Áron Orbán, FIDES called the operation a new stage in a political vendetta and said that the police had acted in a „human trafficking case“. The party added him to its list immediately after his detention.
Viktor Orbán defended his brother, saying: „I am the target; my brother is merely a means“. Judit Csunine Bertalan, head of the FIDES-linked organisation „Vedonal“, also said that this was not about holding anyone accountable, but about a political vendetta. These assessments represent the position of the party and its representatives, while the investigation continues.
The Counter Terrorism Centre also took part in the operation against Áron Orbán, as investigators had grounds to suspect that weapons might be present in his home. No shots were fired. The next procedural step is for the court to rule on the National Investigation Bureau’s request for his detention.
Sources: hvg.hu