Hungary releases secret police files from communist era
The files reveal the names of the socialist regime's informant network, 70 years after the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian revolution of 1956.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has finally released secret police files from the communist era after decades of debate, fulfilling a key campaign promise. The files, containing the socialist regime's informant network, are now accessible to citizens online, enabling searches for ancestors' names 70 years after the Soviet Union's crackdown on the 1956 Hungarian revolution.
The release of these files has been highly controversial, as the names mentioned often refer to "persons of interest" rather than confirmed informants. During a public address, Magyar called for citizens to approach the publication with dignity and humanity, acknowledging that many families will face difficult information about their personal history.
Culture Minister Zoltán Tarr expressed hope that the publication would contribute to long-term reconciliation by revealing the secrets of the past. Culture Minister Tarr's father is mentioned in the files, but he received official confirmation that he was never an agent. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, while rumored to be a member of the secret police, stated in a Facebook post that he had refused cooperation during his mandatory military service and claimed he and his colleagues were targets of state party's secret investigations.
Additional files detailing the network's recruitment process will be made available by February 25 of the following year.
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