Hungary, the brother of former prime minister Viktor Orban arrested

Aron Orban, brother of former Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, has been placed in custody. The news, anticipated by some Hungarian media, was then confirmed by the prime minister, Péter Magyar. “Áron Orbán, brother of Viktor Orbán, has been placed in custody on charges of human trafficking,” Magyar wrote on social media.

Communication from the Hungarian police

The Hungarian police, without going into details, announced that "several people were arrested" in Budapest and in two other cities in the neighboring Pest region, as part of an operation conducted in relation to two criminal cases. "Searches are currently underway at the homes of the people involved," it was specified in a statement.

The activities of the former prime minister's brother

Áron Orbán founded several companies that experienced rapid growth during his brother's 16-year rule. Last year, some journalistic investigations revealed possible links between one of his companies and an alleged system aimed at facilitating the issuing of work visas.

The arrests and the investigation

The arrests in Hungary in these hours were carried out during a joint operation by the National Bureau of Investigation (Nni) and the National Agency for the Recovery and Protection of Assets (Nvvh), an anti-corruption body established by Péter Magyar's government. According to what was reported by some press outlets, in September the Nvvh itself took over the management of four investigations, including an investigation into influence trafficking which allegedly involves Áron Orbán. The investigation concerns a group directly related to some political leaders who, in exchange for money, promised to obtain visas for foreign citizens by bypassing normal administrative procedures.

Viktor Orban's reaction

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called the arrest of his brother Aron for human trafficking part of a "witch hunt" and accused his successor's government of using means worthy of the communist secret police. “Today, the government should be held to account before the National Security Committee for its handling of communist-era secret police archives. However, instead of facing scrutiny, it is using political persecution to divert attention,” the former prime minister wrote on X. “What is happening in Hungary has nothing to do with political responsibility: it is a witch hunt,” Orban added. “Whenever the government finds itself in an embarrassing situation, it resorts to communist-era secret police tactics,” he continued. "The aim of this dirty political game is to eliminate opponents and establish a one-party regime. I am the real target. My younger brother is simply being used to get to me," he concluded.