On 17 October, the Budapest Court of Appeal sentenced Member of the Hungarian Parliament András Fekete-Győr for his role in anti-government protests in 2018. 

Fekete-Győr, the inaugural leader of ALDE Party member Momentum Mozgalom between 2016-21, lit a smoke bomb and, only after it had emitted smoke, threw it towards a police line.  

Despite being acquitted in 2023 after a five-year process, he was sentenced for allegedly encouraging others to act violently as a "psychological accomplice", despite not directly committing violence against a public official or causing injury or damage. 

After six years of threats of imprisonment, Fekete-Győr was finally sentenced last week to one year in prison, suspended for two years of probation. 

"This case has clearly demonstrated how politically motivated show trials operate in the Orbán regime. Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly evident that their main goal is to continuously provide ammunition for the regime’s propaganda machine, and to intimidate and discredit their political opponents,” Fekete-Győr said following the ruling. 

“I have become the first political convict since the regime change for protesting in a way that the government disapproved of. This verdict is not about me. It's about whether, in Hungary, the government can bring anyone before the court and have them convicted if they dare to speak up.” 

The ruling also means that Fekete-Győr is stripped of his parliamentary mandate, an entirely unprecedented situation. His mandate is set to be taken up by former Member of the European Parliament and Renew Europe Vice-President Katalin Cseh. 

In December 2018, nationwide protests erupted in Hungary against a newly passed amendment to the labour law, dubbed the "slave law", which allowed employers to significantly increase the number of overtime hours. 

Orban's witch-hunt against Momentum leader András Fekete-Győr shows that Orban will not tolerate any political opponents.

We stand by our colleagues and friends from @momentumhu! They are fighting for democracy and the #RuleOfLaw in Hungary! https://t.co/fl6Y24pnmA

— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) October 21, 2024