Revolting: 20-year-old Hungarian man stabbed in Bratislava because he spoke Hungarian – UPDATED: protest

Four young Hungarians went to a party in Bratislava’s historic centre. Afterwards, they wanted to grab something to eat in Šafárik Square before heading home, close to the city’s historic centre, when the problems started. A Slovak man stepped beside them, asking why they were talking in Hungary. When one of them answered that because they were Hungarians, almost tragedy happened. Local police started investigating the issue, and Paraméter could talk with eyewitnesses of the incident.

20-year-old Hungarian man stabbed in Bratislava

According to parameter.sk, a Hungarian media outlet in Slovakia, the four Hungarian young men wanted to have fun on Friday in the historic centre of the Slovakian capital. After the party was over, they wanted to buy some fast food in Šafárik Square. However, while they stood in the queue waiting for the food and chatting in Hungarian, a Slovak guy approached them, asking why they were talking in Hungarian. A 20-year-old Hungarian, the victim, replied plainly: because they were Hungarians. It seems that was a mistake.

The increasingly aggressive Slovak individual allegedly told them to go to the other side of the Danube to eat if they speak Hungarian (the other side is Hungary), which is common among extremist groups. Meanwhile, he pulled out a knife and tried to hold it to the young Hungarian man’s neck. He could not carry that out but cut his chin. Finally, the perpetrator fled the scene.

The 20-year-old victim required medical attention and was treated at an emergency room. Following the incident, he pressed charges against the perpetrator.

Was he an extremist football ultra?

Paraméter wrote that they learned about the incident from unofficial but well-informed sources. They mentioned a tattoo or image on the attacker’s neck or jacket related to the Slovan football club. Official sources did not confirm that information. However, the police are investigating not only for bodily harm and altercation but also for a hate crime committed against a member of an ethnic minority.

The victim and one of his close relatives refused to comment due to the interests of the ongoing investigation. The Bratislava 1st District Police Directorate confirmed the existence of the case and added they were investigating for hooliganism and bodily harm. A spokesperson also indicated additional sections of the criminal code referring to crimes committed with a weapon and a crime out of hatred towards members of an ethnic minority.

He can get a sentence of many years in prison

Hooliganism committed with a special motive can get you six months to three years in prison. For bodily harm, you can get 1-3 years imprisoned, provided you commit it with a weapon. Meanwhile, if you commit a hate crime against a member of a national minority, you may be brought into prison for 2-5 years.

Local Hungarian party talks about hate crime

Meanwhile, the Hungarian Association (Magyar Szövetség, a Hungarian political party in Slovakia) condemned the crime in a Facebook post. They wrote about a hate crime and added they could not let the Slovakian capital slide back to an era when Hungarians were afraid to talk in their mother tongue on the streets and when Slovak police beat Hungarian football fans. They also mentioned that back in 2006, Slovak extremists beat a Hungarian university student, Hedvig Malina, in Nyitra (Nitra) for talking in Hungarian while on her phone.

UPDATE: Protest in Bratislava, Hungarian government’s reaction

Hungarian students organised a protest after the attack in Bratislava on Wednesday at 5 PM. The president of the Hungarian Association, László Gubík, held a press conference earlier in the day condemning the attack and saying they were in contact with the victim and his family, who would like everybody to remain calm and the authorities to provide a correct briefing.

Levente Magyar, the secretary of state for foreign affairs, also wrote about a hate crime against a Hungarian individual in a Facebook post. He added that he discussed the issue with his Slovak counterpart, Marek Eštok, and asked for a thorough investigation involving the motivations. Mr Eštok promised that and added the Slovak police did everything they could to find the perpetrator. He cleared that such incidents would not destroy the tight cooperation with Slovakia developed in the last 15 years.

Energy cooperation between Hungary, Slovakia ‘closer than ever’, FM Szijjártó said

Energy cooperation between Hungary and Slovakia is “closer than ever”, even as the energy security of both countries faces challenges from Brussels and Kyiv, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Bratislava on Thursday.

In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó noted that Slovakia was buying more than half a billion cubic metres of gas delivered via Hungary this year. He also pointed to an exemption from European Union sanctions for the sale in Hungary of petroleum products refined from Russian crude in Bratislava as well as steps the countries had taken together to counter negative discrimination against nuclear energy.

Szijjártó said the European Commission had broken two of four pledges regarding energy security, adding that it was “outrageous” that the EU executive was “taking Ukraine’s side, instead of representing the interests of member states”.

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