AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
QUOTE
16 June 2017
Hungary: Appeal Court orders retrial of man convicted of ‘terrorism’ for throwing stones
· Spokespeople at the court and available for interview
Following a decision by a Hungarian appeal court to order a retrial in the case against Ahmed H, a Syrian man sentenced to 10 years in prison for committing an “act of terror” during clashes with border guards at the Serbia-Hungary border, Todor Gardos, Amnesty International’s Hungary researcher said:
“This is an important step on the path to justice for a man whose absurd conviction was based on the blatant misuse of terrorism provisions.
“Today’s decision is a clear indication that evidence against Ahmed H was not adequately examined by the first instance court and suggests that he may have been wrongfully convicted.
“Throwing a few stones cannot seriously be equated to an act of terrorism and the retrial will provide an opportunity to ensure counter-terrorism laws stop being misused in such a way.
“There is no reason for Ahmed H to remain in pre-trial detention. He should be released and tried fairly without delay.”
To arrange an interview on the ground contact Amnesty International press office on [email protected] +32 2 548 27 73 or +32 483 680 812 or [email protected] / +447936766445 or +44 2030365599
For a video on Ahmed’s case visit https://youtu.be/UweFfo6Sgqs
For more information on his case see https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/11/how-a-family-man-in-cyprus-ended-up-in-a-hungarian-jail-cell-accused-of-terrorism/
A petition against Ahmed’s imprisonment has already gathered more than 40,000 signatures https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/ahmed-h/