2023-05-22 07:34:50
The early release of convicted smugglers in Hungary causes diplomatic tensions between Vienna and Budapest. “We want full clarification because we think that’s a completely wrong signal,” said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) on Monday in Brussels. They will “even today get the Hungarian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry.” According to his own statements, Schallenberg spoke to his Hungarian colleague Péter Szijjártó on Sunday.
In the past few days, there have been “disturbing” media reports that Hungary seems to want to release hundreds of convicted people smugglers, explained Schallenberg. Budapest’s “apparent” argument that having foreigners in prisons is too expensive contradicts Hungary’s “apparently clear line” of human smuggling in the past.
According to a regulation issued by Viktor Orbán’s right-wing Hungarian government at the end of last month, imprisoned people smugglers from abroad will be released if they leave Hungary within 72 hours. Hungarian criminal law provides for long prison sentences of two to 20 years for people smuggling. Chancellery Minister Gergely Gulyás justified the step by saying that the incarceration of foreign criminals would be too expensive.
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