FILE - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a press statement at the Carmelite Monastery in the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
Ukraine rejects accusation by Hungarian leader Orb谩n over the fatal beating of a dual citizen
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n on Friday accused Ukrainian authorities of beating a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen to death during his mobilization in the military, a claim Ukraine has rejected but that has further strained relations between the neighboring countries.
FILE - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a press statement at the Carmelite Monastery in the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n on Friday accused Ukrainian authorities of beating a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen to death during his mobilization in the military, a claim Ukraine has rejected but that has further strained relations between the neighboring countries.
Orb谩n, a vehement critic of Ukraine and its fight to ward off Russia’s full-scale invasion, told state radio that a man who reportedly died in a Ukrainian hospital earlier this month had been 鈥渂eaten to death鈥 by his recruiters.
He didn’t provide any evidence to substantiate the accusation, adding that the matter remained under investigation.
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Orb谩n’s statements came a day after Hungary鈥檚 foreign ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over the unconfirmed report. The ministry claimed that Ukrainian military recruiters had beaten the man as part of 鈥渇orced conscription鈥 into the army before taking him to a recruitment center.
Ukrainian authorities have disputed the account, saying the man was a Ukrainian citizen who had left his military unit without authorization and later checked himself into a hospital. They said the hospital found no signs of physical injury indicating violence.
The cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, Ukraine鈥檚 embassy in Budapest wrote in a post on social media on Thursday.
鈥淲e categorically reject any allegations of forced conscription, mistreatment, or human rights violations鈥 committed by any Ukrainian military officials, the statement said, adding that Ukraine is open to a 鈥渢ransparent investigation.”
The dispute places further strain on the diplomatic relationship between Ukraine and Hungary 鈥 a member of NATO and the European Union.
While most EU countries have offered political, financial, and military support to Kyiv since on Feb. 24, 2022, Hungary 鈥 under Orb谩n 鈥 has .
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Hungary has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons or allow their transit through Hungarian territory, demanding sanctions relief and rapprochement with Russia, and adopting a toward both Kyiv and its EU backers.
With his governing Fidesz party slipping in the polls and a new opposition force gaining momentum, Orb谩n has escalated a 鈥 presenting the upcoming election as a referendum on peace or war. He has also accused Kyiv of seeking to topple his government and install a pro-Ukraine administration.
In May, there were a series of diplomatic expulsions between Hungary and Ukraine after Ukraine’s main intelligence agency said that it had for Hungary by gathering intelligence on Ukraine鈥檚 military in the west of the country.
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