Hungary calls for former prisoner turned MEP’s immunity to be lifted

Hungary has asked the European Parliament to lift the immunity of Ilaria Salis, an Italian MEP, who was imprisoned in Hungary on charges of attacking right-wing activists.

The topic was raised by Hungarian MEPs from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, during a plenary session in Strasbourg.

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said Hungary’s request had been forwarded to the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, where it will be deliberated.

Salis was convicted of three counts of attempted assault on far-right demonstrators during a protest in Budapest in February 2023 — a charge she has consistently denied.

She spent 15 months in jail in Budapest before being granted house arrest. She was then offered automatic release and immunity after being elected as an MEP for the Left Green Alliance following the European Parliament elections in June.

The former teacher sparked a diplomatic row between Hungary and Italy after she was pictured attending court in Budapest with her hands and feet chained in January 2024 — a practice Hungary insisted was standard.

Italian ministers summoned Hungary’s ambassador at the time over concern about Salis and conditions in prison.

Salis, who has previously argued her sentence was disproportionate, said of Hungary’s request, “The minimum conditions for a fair trial to take place in Hungary do not exist.”

“I hope that Parliament will choose to defend the rule of law and human rights without giving in to the arrogance of an ‘illiberal democracy’ in autocratic drift which, by the mouths of even its own rulers, has on several occasions already declared me guilty before the verdict,” she added.

‘You are not a martyr’

Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs justified Budapest’s request, posting on X, “Let me make it clear once again: you were not arrested for your ‘political opinions’, you were arrested and tried for armed aggression against innocent Hungarian citizens.”

“This whole charade is a joke, you are not a democrat and you are not a martyr. You are a common thug,” Kovacs said.

Additional MEPs from the Fidesz party had strong words for Salis, calling her a “disgrace” and a “coward” on social media.

Representatives from Left Green Alliance, who offered Salis candidacy in the European elections, reiterated their full solidarity with the activist.

“We hope that the European Parliament will reject this request in the knowledge that the conditions for a fair and equitable trial do not exist in Hungary,” said Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli.

The push to lift Salis’ immunity comes after she delivered a speech in front of Orbán in early October, criticising the country’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

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“It is a bit of a paradox to have a presidency led by someone whose goal is to dismantle the EU in the name of nationalism,’ the Italian MEP said.

Orbán hit back against Salis, telling the European Parliament she, “beat up peaceful people in the streets of Budapest with iron bars” to applause and whistles.

Hungary’s request is unlikely to have an immediate impact. The request must first be assessed by the parliament’s president before being passed to the Legal Affairs committee and finally voted on by the Assembly.

The process is expected to take at least several months.

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