The Hungarian government has filed charges against investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, accusing him of spying for Ukraine. The move comes amid a political firestorm over allegations that Hungary's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, shared confidential EU information with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Gergely Gulyás, Orbán's chief of staff, announced the charges on Thursday, claiming Panyi had 'spied against his own country in cooperation with a foreign state'. The allegations stem from a pro-government publication that claimed foreign intelligence agencies eavesdropped on Szijjártó with Panyi's help, citing an edited recording.
Panyi denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusation 'virtually unprecedented in the 21st century for a member state of the European Union'. He stated he was investigating whether Szijjártó's communications with Russian officials 'may have crossed legal boundaries', and rejected any collaboration with foreign intelligence.
The charges cap a turbulent week for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose Fidesz party trails the opposition Tisza party ahead of the 12 April election. The campaign has been marked by allegations of foreign interference, with reports of Russian disinformation networks and endorsements from Donald Trump.
Panyi's employer, VSquare, condemned the government's actions as 'authoritarian tactics' and 'the Kremlin's modus operandi'. The case has drawn international concern over media freedom in Hungary, which has faced EU criticism for weakening democratic institutions.
