AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA ADVISORY
Under embargo until 00.01 8 January 2018 CET
Hungary: Judgement due in retrial of Syrian man originally convicted of “an act of terror”
· Spokespeople at the court and available for interview
Ahead of the third hearing in the retrial of a Syrian man originally convicted of committing a terrorism-related act during clashes with Hungarian police at the Serbia-Hungary border, an Amnesty International team is in court and available for interviews. The judgement is expected to be handed-down at the hearing on 12 January.
The man, a permanent resident of Cyprus who can only be identified as Ahmed H., was convicted in November 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ahmed admitted to throwing three objects at the Hungarian police during the clashes. On 16 June 2017, an appeals court ordered his retrial.
“The prosecution and ensuing conviction of Ahmed H was a blatant misuse of terrorism-related provisions against a man who was simply helping his family flee Syria,” said Eda Seyhan, Amnesty International’s campaigner on counter-terrorism in Europe.
“Though Hungary’s draconian counter-terrorism laws remain in force and its crackdown on refugees persists, we hope this retrial will be at least a first step towards justice for Ahmed, who has already spent over two years in detention.”
Follow Amnesty International’s spokespeople @eda_seyhan and @demeteraaron for updates. To arrange an interview on the ground contact [email protected] / +447936766445 or +44 2030365599 or Amnesty International press office on [email protected] +32 2 548 27 73 or +32 483 680 812
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 72,000 signatures https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/ahmed-h/