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On suspicion of treason, the Security Service of Ukraine (SZBU) has initiated criminal proceedings against representatives of the Szürte settlement in Transcarpathia, writes the Ukrainian news site strana.ua. The background to the case is that after the local elections in late October, on November 21, some of the newly elected local deputies sang the Hungarian anthem when they took office.
A video of the case was also made and sent to the SZBU. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, two members of the Servant of the People, Vitaly Bezhin, and the leader of the parliamentary faction Alexander Korynyenko said they had approached the authorities.
The SZBU has now initiated proceedings on suspicion of violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, treason and falsification of documents.
How the latter relates to the case is not yet known. The Hungarian embassy in Kiev defended the performance of the Hungarian anthem, saying that the deputies first sang the Ukrainian anthem and then the Hungarian anthem.
History
This was not the first time that the Ukrainian authorities attacked Hungarians after a hidden camera shot came to light. Two years ago, a photo was taken at the Consulate in Beregszász, in which Hungarian passports are distributed to those entitled to citizenship and new citizens are advised when to use their Hungarian and Ukrainian passports. Then the new citizens will swear to Hungary and also sing the anthem. As a consequence, the Ukrainian authorities also launched an investigation for alleged treason.
The process against Szürt’s representatives coincides with the SZBU raid, which took place at the offices of the Hungarian Transcarpathic Cultural Association (KMKSZ), at various related institutions, and at the apartment of László Brenzovics, president of KMKSZ. The raid was carried out in another county, Zaporizhia, as part of an investigation into alleged economic abuse and Sepratism. The authorities also planned to prosecute Brenzovich for endangering the territorial integrity and treason of Ukraine.
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