The metropolitan investigative prosecutor’s office requested the arrest of the suspected Islamic State member, and a central district court judge today ordered the arrest of the man known as F. Hassan to last for the duration of a month.

The Syrian is thought to have been a high-ranking IS leader who organised suicide bombings and at least 20 executions. His lawyer, László Kelen, told public affairs channel M1 that the suspect denies the charges.

On Saturday, Hungary’s Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK) has said it was working together with Europol and the police forces and secret services of various countries to assess the past criminal activities and network of links maintained in Europe by the Syrian who had successfully applied for asylum in Greece. 

The municipal chief prosecutor said the 27-year-old is believed to have participated in Islamic State executions in Homs in 2016. Before arriving in Hungary, the suspect had visited a number of other European countries, TEK said.

The suspect was first detained at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International airport on Dec. 30 after producing forged travel documents for himself and a woman in his company. In a court proceeding he was handed a suspended prison sentence for “human smuggling and other crimes” and was awaiting expulsion from the country, the statement said.

The Belgian authorities and Eurojust informed the Hungarian authorities of the man’s suspected terrorist activities, it added.

MTI Photo: Mihádák Zoltán