Hungarian minority politician detained in Slovakia during protest for disagreeing with anti-Hungarian laws

A protest against the post-war Beneš decrees in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava on Friday evening sparked political controversy after Slovak police briefly detained Orosz Örs, a politician representing the Hungarian minority party Magyar Szövetség (Hungarian Alliance).

Hungarian minority politician detained for disagreeing with Slovakia’s Beneš decrees

The demonstration, attended by more than a thousand people, was organised to oppose the continued legal relevance of the Beneš decrees, a series of presidential edicts issued in Czechoslovakia after the Second World War. These decrees laid the groundwork for the collective punishment, displacement and property confiscation of ethnic Germans and Hungarians, a legacy that remains highly sensitive in Slovak–Hungarian relations.

According to Slovak-Hungarian media outlets Új Szó and Paraméter.sk, Orosz was escorted away by police after he refused to remove a high-visibility vest bearing the slogan “We question the Beneš decrees.” Both the organisers of the protest and police officers had reportedly asked him to take it off, citing recent legal changes.

Criticising the decrees can be punished with half a year in prison

Under an amendment to the Slovak Criminal Code adopted in December, publicly questioning the Beneš decrees may now be considered a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison. Critics argue that the amendment effectively criminalises historical debate and political dissent.

Orosz later posted on Facebook that he was waiting to be questioned by the authorities. He is one of the initiators of a petition calling for the repeal of the controversial legal provision. The petition has reportedly been signed by around 8,000 people so far, many of whom are aware that their support could potentially expose them to legal consequences. Orosz and two other initiators, including constitutional lawyer János Fiala-Butora, have also filed self-reports with the police as an act of protest.

Organisers see the parallels with the past

Speakers at the demonstration included civil society figures and activists from the Hungarian minority community. Zsófia Voda, director of the Bratislava Hungarian College, drew parallels with protests held 12 years ago in connection with the controversial criminal case of Hedvig Malina, arguing that the current Slovak government has now gone even further in restricting civil rights.

Attila Stubendek, another organiser, warned that the new legislation creates a chilling effect on free expression, while fellow organiser Balázs Kovács referred to the forced expulsion of his grandparents from what is now the Czech Republic after the war. He said the protest held in Slovakia’s capital was about moral responsibility as much as politics, arguing that post-war collective punishment should never be justified.

The demonstration concluded with participants singing the national anthems of both Slovakia and Hungary. According to reports, Slovak as well as Hungarian voices could be heard among the crowd, suggesting that opposition to the decrees is not limited to one ethnic group.

Even the Hungarian foreign minister responded

As 24.hu writes, the incident drew a reaction from Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, who addressed the matter in a late-night Facebook post on Saturday. Szijjártó confirmed that he had contacted László Gubík, president of Magyar Szövetség and a speaker at the protest, who informed him that Orosz had been released and that no legal proceedings would be launched against him.

In his statement, Szijjártó reiterated the Hungarian government’s long-standing position that the principle of collective guilt is unacceptable. He added that Hungary regularly raises this issue with Slovakia’s government at diplomatic level and will continue to do so in the future.

Source of featured image: Facebook/Robert Fico