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Scandal: Former altar boy speaks out about ties between Hungarian Deputy PM Semjén and Russian church leader accused of sexual harassment
New details have emerged regarding Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev’s activities in Hungary. The Russian Orthodox Church removed him from his post as head of the Budapest and Hungarian diocese following allegations of sexual harassment. His former altar boy and assistant, George Suzuki, has now spoken in detail to the Russian opposition outlet The Insider Russia about the case.
Regular meetings with Zsolt Semjén
According to Suzuki, Metropolitan Hilarion frequently met high-ranking Hungarian government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, with whom he reportedly had “roughly monthly” meetings, all held in informal settings. The two were allegedly on such close terms that they would often invite each other to their homes, investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi reported, citing The Insider Russia’s article.
Suzuki recounted one occasion when he personally served tea at Hilarion’s residence for Semjén and his wife. The woman reportedly enjoyed the Japanese sweets he had prepared so much that she even asked for the recipe.
Links to the Russian Embassy and Hungarian politicians
The former assistant also claimed that the metropolitan held monthly consultations with the Russian ambassador and met embassy staff on a weekly basis. Suzuki said Hilarion also met Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on several occasions, some of which he personally witnessed.
He alleged that these meetings usually took place behind closed doors, but that Hilarion would later share details with his subordinates. According to Suzuki, topics discussed included the settlement of Russian businessmen and oligarchs in Hungary, the promotion of their investments, and ways to ease or circumvent sanctions. These conversations reportedly concerned “multi-million-euro deals”.
Suzuki also stated that Hilarion played an active role in preventing Patriarch Kirill from being placed on the EU sanctions list — a move in which Hungary’s diplomatic veto proved instrumental.
Privileges and a life of luxury in Hungary
During his years in Hungary, Hilarion allegedly enjoyed numerous privileges. Suzuki said he used a car with diplomatic licence plates, travelled via the government terminal at Budapest Airport, and obtained Hungarian citizenship unusually quickly — within just a few months in the autumn of 2022.
Although he told his followers he was living in a monastery, he reportedly purchased an HUF 820 million (EUR 2.1 million) estate near Budapest, where he lived in luxury, complete with a swimming pool, wine cellar, and gym.
Harassment allegations and flight to Japan
George Suzuki, who is of Japanese origin, accused Hilarion of sexual harassment in early 2024. He claimed he was only able to escape the metropolitan’s control by pretending to attend a medical appointment, secretly packing his belongings, and fleeing Hungary via Istanbul to Japan, where he filed an official complaint.
According to Suzuki, Hilarion attempted to buy his silence by offering him lifelong financial support, which he refused. Since then, the metropolitan has allegedly urged him to withdraw his accusations and to shut down his YouTube channel, where he described the events in detail.
Contradictions and a stalled investigation
After the scandal broke, Hilarion was reassigned to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. However, Suzuki claims he still lives near Budapest and rarely appears at his Czech parish.
Meanwhile, the metropolitan filed a complaint against Suzuki, accusing him of stealing valuables worth EUR 30,000 from his home. Suzuki denies this, stating that one of the watches in question had been entrusted to him by Hilarion for safekeeping and was later returned through his lawyer.
According to Suzuki, Hungarian authorities have made no progress in the case for a year, as Hilarion “cannot be reached” and has failed to appear in court.
What is “Zsolti bacsi” up to?