Former Hungarian Communist Party Official Biszku Pleads Innocent In New Trial

  • 5 Oct 2015 9:00 AM
Former Hungarian Communist Party Official Biszku Pleads Innocent In New Trial
Béla Biszku, the interior minister in 1956, pleaded innocent to charges of war crimes when a new trial began on Friday. Biszku is accused of abetting the shooting of protesters by state security officials at Nyugati tér and in Salgótarján in December 1956, as well as failing to investigate a raid in 1957 and denying Communist crimes.

The 94-year-old Biszku, who was pushed into the courtroom in a wheelchair, said he does not intend to answer any questions.

The court heard the opinions of legal historian Tibor Zinner, military historian Miklós Horváth and archivist Zsuzsanna Mikó, who basically agreed that the main decision-making body of the state party had not formulated any specific orders to the law enforcement agency to open fire.

However, explicit orders were not necessary, they said, as the political line and statements by the party leadership provided sufficient ground and encouragement for brutal action.

The trial will resume in November.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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MTI photo: Soós Lajos

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