Serbian court calls on Jobbik to close local office

Budapest, March 19 (MTI) – A local court in northern Serbia’s Vojvodina has banned the operation of the office of István Szávay, deputy leader of the Hungarian Jobbik party, in the town of Senta (Zenta).

Szávay told MTI on Saturday that the court has fined him 10,000 dinars and called for closing down the office, citing Serbian law under which political activities by foreign parties are illegal.

Szávay opened his office in October 2015 after the authorities twice banned a Jobbik office in Subotica (Szabadka). He said his office aimed to help locals with procedures to acquire Hungarian citizenship and with other issues.

The Hungarian foreign minister called Szávay’s act of opening the office “provocation” damaging Hungarian-Serbian relations.

Szávay told MTI on Saturday that he has appealed against the court’s decision and will not close the office.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters