Police Detain Former Hungarian PM Orban’s Brother

Hungarian police arrested Viktor Orban's brother, Aron Orban, on Monday, according to a press report shared by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Magyar, a pro-EU conservative who won a landslide election in April, promised to investigate corruption and abuse of power during Orban's leadership. Kontroll, a news site owned by Magyar's brother Marton Magyar, reported that Aron Orban was taken into custody on suspicion of human trafficking.

The original report, however, originated from Kontroll. Former Prime Minister Orban described the detention as a "dirty game," alleging the government was targeting its political opponents. Aron Orban, like other family members, built successful businesses during his brother's time in power. Recently, investigative journalists linked one of his companies to a visa facilitation scheme that provided preferential access to Hungarian work visas for foreigners.

Police stated that "several people have been taken into custody" in Budapest and two surrounding towns during an operation connected to human trafficking. Searches are ongoing at the homes of those under investigation, with further updates expected later. The operation, involving the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Asset Recovery and Protection Agency, a powerful anti-corruption body, also targeted four other investigations, including one on influence-peddling.

This case involves an alleged group offering to bypass standard administrative procedures for visa grants in exchange for money. Since Orban's defeat in September, three former ministers have been arrested, including former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy, whom Orban once referred to as his "right-hand man."