Committee to Protect Journalists Calls on Hungary to Drop Charges Against Media Workers Who Wanted to Question Orban

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Hungarian authorities to drop minor charges against two journalists who were arrested in a parking lot while waiting to question Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the committee said in a statement on February 3.

The CPJ said the journalists were held in custody for three hours.

On January 30, police took away Daniel Seymour, a reporter for the independent online publication Telex and cameraman Noemi Gombos from a parking lot near a film studio in the town of Fót, near the capital Budapest. Orbán was due to arrive there for the official opening of the film studio.

«Hungarian authorities should conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into the detention of Telex journalists Daniel Seymour and Noemi Gombos during an event attended by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán», – said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. «It is unacceptable to use police force to prevent journalists from asking questions of government officials. This is a clear escalation of intimidation tactics previously unheard of in Hungary.

Journalist Daniel Seymour told CPJ that Telex was not allowed to ask Orbán questions during his annual final press conference in December, so they registered to cover the opening of a film studio and waited in a parking lot to ask Orbán a few questions about health care.

Orbán’s press secretary, he said, said their accreditations for the event had been revoked and the journalists were taken to a police station, where they were questioned for three hours. Police have opened a criminal case against them for resisting police orders, which carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine.

CPJ’s email to the Hungarian prime minister’s press office for comment did not receive a response.

The Committee to Protect Journalists notes that since Orban returned to power in 2010, his right-wing government has systematically weakened protections for independent media outlets.

«His landslide victory in the 2022 election led to an even harsher media climate, as well as the introduction of a Russian-style law aimed at suppressing foreign-funded media outlets», – the statement says.

According to «Reporters Without Borders» as of 2022, the government and the ruling party had de facto control over 80% of the media in Hungary.