Brother of Hungary's ex-prime minister Viktor Orban arrested

A court in Hungary has ruled to place Aron Orban, the younger brother of the country's former prime minister Viktor Orban, in custody for one month.

As Hungarian media report, this was announced by the official representative of the Budapest Metropolitan Court, Gergo Bozo.

Aron Orban is suspected of influence peddling and facilitating illegal migration. A similar preventive measure was chosen for one of the alleged accomplices. Another person involved in the case was placed under house arrest, and a fourth was released.

According to Bozo, the court found the suspicions against all those involved to be well-founded. In choosing the preventive measure, consideration was given to the risks that the suspects might flee or attempt to evade justice, the gravity of the alleged crime, the possible punishment, and the extensive international connections of those involved.

According to the investigation materials, Aron Orban and his partners helped citizens of Vietnam move to Europe for money, including by facilitating the obtaining of Schengen visas through Hungarian embassies. Presumably, more than 100 people made use of such services in 2024.

Aron Orban was detained on November 9. He gave testimony but did not admit guilt. His lawyer stated that there was insufficient evidence for detention in custody.

Viktor Orban called the case political persecution and stated that the authorities are trying to eliminate their opponents.