Miko Case: Protest Document Has Been Sent To the White House

The New York-based Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) has sent a protest document to the White House because of the re-nationalization of the Reformed College of Saint George Szekely Miko, Itthon.ma says.

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Laszlo Hamos, president of the HHRF presented and handed over the document – which was given to the MTI at the weekend – when the White House officials received the lead of the Hungarian American Coalition (HAC).

According to Itthon.ma, the document informed the American government that the Ploiesti Court of Appeal upheld the three-year suspended prison sentence of Attila Marko, Tamas Marosan and Silviu Clim, which was imposed because as the members of the special committee in charge of the restitution of ecclesial property, they returned the property “to its rightful owner”, the Hungarian Reformed Church. And a severe fine was imposed on the Church because of the „illegal” use of the college.

The document mentioned that the Romanian Parliament withdrew the immunity of Attila Marko on the basis of allegations of corruption on 3 December, while the immunity of his Romanian colleague, Catalin Teodrescu, who is also involved in the case, was remained. According to protestant bishop Bela Kato, who said that Romania is not governed according to the rule of law, that the judgment will be brought before the European Court of Human Rights, Itthon.ma says.

The HHRF urged the Romanian Government to set back the ownership of the Hungarian Reformed Church over the college and exempt from every accusation Marko, Marosan and Clim. The foundation emphasizes in its document: the Romanian Government must ensure that the rightful returned properties of the Hungarian historical churches will not been re-nationalized, and it must remove any obstacles from getting back the ownership of the 5168 Romanian properties.

According to Itthon.ma, the HHRF pointed out that the real crime is that less than one-third of the during the Romanian Communist regime confiscated properties were provided back. According to the document, the historical Hungarian church got back only 1204 from the 2140 properties, which caused irreversible damage to the Hungarian minority in Romania.

The Hungarian Human Rights Foundation reminded that the US House of Representatives accepted the 191 Resouliton , the initiative of the Tom Lantos and Tom Tancredo unanimously in 2005, which which it urged Romania to speed up the Jewish community, the Hungarian historical churches and the Greek Orthodox Church property restitution. The Romanian authorities have been ignoring this resolution.

21 American representatives asked Secretary of State John Kerry to exert strong pressure on the Romanian government, to put an end to this case. They also wanted Kerry to protest against the new Romanian law passed of the church property restitution. The American State Department said that this case is a key priority for them. Their officials also participated as an observer in the hearing of Attila Marko by the Romanian Supreme Court in 27 June 2013.

However, the Romanian Government said that they are opened to amend the restitution law, the persecution of the Hungarian Reformed Church and the members of the special committee are continuing, Itthon.ma says.

Another 8 representatives sent a letter to Kerrry in 22 May 2014 asking him to monitor the case regarding to the ownership of the Szekely Miko Reformed College and the proceeding against Marko, Marosan and Clim.

based on the article of Itthon.ma
translated by BA

Photo: pixabay

Source: http://itthon.ma