(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, RSF protested against the pressure which officials from the Federation of Young Democrats (FIDESz, the ruling party) alliance have brought to bear against the national newspaper “Magyar Hírlap” and the RTL-Klub television station since the beginning of May 2001. “Your party’s positions appear to […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, RSF protested against the pressure which officials from the Federation of Young Democrats (FIDESz, the ruling party) alliance have brought to bear against the national newspaper “Magyar Hírlap” and the RTL-Klub television station since the beginning of May 2001.
“Your party’s positions appear to be a real form of pressure and intimidation against the press,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “We ask that you intervene to end the reprisals against ‘Magyar Hírlap’ and see to it that the freedom to inform is respected in Hungary,” he added.
According to information collected by RSF, journalists from “Magyar Hírlap”, one of the oldest and most influencial newspapers in the country, were barred from entering the FIDESz’s congress. The FIDESz is the ruling party of Prime Minister Orban. The party’s congress was held in Szeged (southern region) on 5 and 6 May. The party’s spokesperson, Attila Farkas, confirmed that “no ‘Magyar Hírlap’ reporters will henceforth be permitted to attend any event or gathering” of the FIDESz. When a journalist protested the measure, the head of the party’s press service responded that “‘Magyar Hírlap’ journalists can consult the dispatches of the official Hungarian press agency (MTI) in order to prepare their articles.”
The FIDESz’s reaction followed the publication of an article titled “No one seeks the ‘liquidation’ of Viktor Orban and Laslo Koever [the FIDESz’s president until 6 May] from political life.” The article made reference to an interview conducted one week ago by one of the station’s journalists with a Russian hired assassin. In the course of the interview, the station’s journalist asked the following question: “For what price would you assassinate the Hungarian prime minister?” The hired assassin answered the question without hesitation. The prime minister was not satisfied with the station’s apology. The station admitted that the question was in “poor taste,” and two RTL-Klub executives were forced to resign following government pressure.
“Magyar Hírlap”‘s editor-in-chief also apologised in an editorial for the use of the word “liquidation.” However, the FIDESz party’s spokesperson did not accept his apology, and stated that the boycott of the newspaper “would remain in effect as long as the daily did not follow RTL-Klub’s example,” by dismissing the article’s authors.
“Magyar Hírlap” left a portion of its 7 May edition’s front page blank to protest against the pressure. Several newspapers folowed the newspaper’s example in a show of solidarity.
