Military Wing of Extreme Right Hungarian Guard Group Disbanded for Hate and Incitement

July 6, 2009

Wiesenthal Centre Commends Budapest Court on Dissolution of Extreme Right Hungarian Guard for Anti-Roma Incitement

Paris 

Dr. Shimon Samuels, the Wiesenthal Centre’s Director for International Relations applauded last week’s Budapest court ruling to uphold the dismantling of the extreme-right Hungarian Guard for incitement to Gypsophobia.

In early March discussions with anti-racist educators in Hungary, Samuels had expressed outrage to State President László Sólyom regarding a pogrom against Roma, stating that "Gypsophobia must not become acceptable in Eastern Europe in the way that antisemitism has become an epidemic in the West".

He called for the dissolution of parties founded upon platforms of hate.

A municipal court in Budapest had already argued that the Hungarian Guard Traditional and Cultural Association meant: "to create a climate of fear" by staging regular marches through Roma settlements.

The Hungarian Guard was an emanation of the extreme-right Jobbik party which won 15% of the votes in last month’s European Parliament election on a platform of "Hungary for Hungarians".

Samuels reported antisemitic statements by Jobbik leaders during the campaign, noting that he had received constant telephonic threats during his visit to Hungary.

"Now that the ‘military’ wing is disbanded Jobbik’s three political party agitators, elected to the new European Parliament, should be marginalized by all democratic MEP’s (Members of the European Parliament)" stated Samuels.

For further information, please contact Shimon Samuels at +33.609.77.01.58.