A Hungarian court has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for Aron Orban, the brother of former long-serving prime minister Viktor Orban. The detention was ordered on suspicion of migrant smuggling, with the court ruling that there is sufficient reasonable suspicion against all four arrested individuals.
Aron Orban and three others were arrested on Monday in a joint operation by the National Investigation Service (NBI) and the National Agency for Asset Recovery and Protection (NVVH). The anti-corruption agency NVVH was established by the government of Peter Magyar, which took office in May.
According to investigators, the suspects acted as part of a criminal organisation involved in human trafficking. They are suspected of helping more than 100 Vietnamese nationals obtain visas during 2024, for which they charged them a recruitment fee.
In addition to Aron Orban, detention was ordered for one other suspect. A third suspect was placed under judicial supervision for four months, while the fourth was released. The prosecution had sought detention for all four due to the risk of flight, concealment and obstruction of the investigation. The suspects have the right to appeal the court's decision.
Viktor Orban reacted to his brother's arrest on Monday, accusing the current Hungarian government of attempting to remove political opponents. He wrote on Facebook: "I am the target, my brother is just a tool".
