Áron Orbán, the younger brother of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, will remain in custody for one month as part of an investigation into migrant trafficking and influence peddling. The same measure was imposed on his partner, a spokesperson for the Budapest Metropolitan Court said.
The two are among four suspects detained on November 9 in an operation by the National Investigation Bureau and the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office. One of the other suspects has been placed under judicial supervision, while the fourth will defend himself at liberty. The decisions can be appealed.
The investigation is linked to visas for Vietnamese nationals
According to investigators, in 2024 the four helped more than 100 Vietnamese nationals obtain visas and continue on to Western Europe via Hungary. Intermediary fees were collected for the service, and the proceeds were distributed among the participants.
Hungarian authorities suspect Áron Orbán and the other suspects of an offence committed as a regular occupation and of forming a criminal association for financial gain. Separately, the former prime minister’s brother is being investigated for influence peddling. In the Bulgarian context, the charge refers to migrant trafficking, not to proven guilt for human trafficking or any other offence.
The investigation covers actions in Budapest and the surrounding towns of Fót and Dunakeszi. Searches were carried out during the operation, and firearms were expected to be found at two of the addresses, prompting the involvement of the Counter Terrorism Centre.
Court cites risk of interference with evidence
The court found that Áron Orbán and his partner posed a risk of influencing the collection of evidence. Judicial supervision was imposed on the other detained suspect, including a ban on leaving the country and electronic monitoring, Telex reported.
Áron Orbán’s lawyer, E´va Edit Schalháza, disputes the necessity of his detention. “It is absurd to claim that there is a risk of flight, concealment, interference or destruction of evidence when he himself contacted the authorities and expressed his willingness to cooperate,” she said.
Viktor Orbán described the detention as politically motivated. “I am the target, while my younger brother is merely a means,” he wrote. The authorities and the ruling Tisza party have not presented the accusation as proven guilt, but as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The next procedural step is the consideration of any appeals against the measures. Until a final court ruling, Áron Orbán and the other suspects are presumed innocent.
Sources: telex.hu, 24.hu, theguardian.com