Hungarian police detained several people, including former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's brother Áron Orbán, in a human trafficking investigation. Orbán called the move a political diversion by Prime Minister Péter Magyar's government.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Hungarian police have detained several people, including former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's younger brother Áron Orbán, in connection with a suspected human trafficking case, according to reporting by WION and the Associated Press.
Hungarian police said on November 9 that investigators from the National Investigation Bureau (NNI) and the National Protection Service (NVVH) were conducting joint investigative operations in connection with two criminal proceedings. According to police, several people were arrested and searches were being carried out in Budapest and two settlements in Pest County.
WION reported that Áron Orbán is being investigated in connection with a suspected human trafficking and visa-fraud network involving foreign nationals seeking to work in Hungary. The case centres on allegations that a group with links to influential political figures offered to facilitate visas and residence permits in exchange for money. According to an investigation by Hungarian news outlet Telex, companies linked to Áron Orbán allegedly helped Vietnamese nationals obtain Hungarian visas by enrolling them in short training programmes, including a two-day life-saving course at the University of Pécs.
The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office said in September that it had taken over the case, in which the suspected offence included influence-peddling. The investigation also involves other associates of Áron Orbán.
Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sharply criticized the investigation. In a Facebook post on Monday, he wrote: "The goal of this dirty game is to eliminate the political opponent and establish a one-party system. I am the target; my brother is merely a pawn."
He also wrote on X: "What is happening in Hungary is not accountability. It is a political witch hunt." Orbán accused Prime Minister Péter Magyar's government of diverting attention from the controversial release of communist-era secret police files.
Hungarian authorities confirmed Monday that, "Arrests and house searches are taking place at several locations in Budapest and Pest County in connection with a human trafficking case."
The detention of a former prime minister's brother is a significant development in Hungary's post-Orbán political landscape, coming as Prime Minister Péter Magyar's government pursues investigations into suspected corruption and abuses of office from the previous administration.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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