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Hungary: Neo-nazi skinheads convicted

01 January 1991

Hungary: Neo-nazi skinheads convicted
artdoc May=1993

Following the conviction in Budapest of a group of skinheads
responsible for 21 acts of violence against Gypsies and
foreigners in 1991, Hungarian society has been forced to address
the question of a growing skinhead movement. The appearance of
the skinhead gangs is a relatively new phenomenon. During an
official ceremony commemorating the Hungarian uprising of 1956
in October, skinheads, dressed in Hungarian fascist (Arrow Cross)
uniform, prevented President Arpad Gonc from speaking.
Although the incident shocked the country, opinion is divided
as to how to tackle the neo-nazi youth. Despite calls from the
opposition, the government has refused to launch an official
investigation into skinhead activities. Instead, it is
considering banning both fascist and communist symbols from
public use.
On one occasion, the Hungarian Minister of Interior went as far
as to say that most skinheads were `honest Hungarians'. And when
a deputy for the Democratic Forum met a group of skinheads, who
presented him with a petition asking for obligatory military
training and defence against the `foreign spirit', the official
described the youths as `well-intentioned children'.
The trial of the skinheads at the Budapest Court lasted some
six months. All the skinheads were minors and received penalties
ranging from 1 year to 25 months imprisonment. (Le Monde
28.11.92).

Martin Luther King Association speaks of mounting attacks The
Martin Luther King Association says that they know of 120
incidents of racial violence since the beginning of the year. In
one incident, two diplomats from Yemen and Zaire were seriously
injured by skinheads. 66 Sudanese students left the country after
revealing that they were `living in fear' (Le Monde 28.11.92).

IRR European Race Audit no 2 1992. Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute
of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS Tel: ++ 071
837 0041