Pastor István Ónodi, theeconomicdirector of ourchurch, theHungarianEvangelicalFellowship (HEF) and itsinstitutions, washandcuffed and broughtto Békéscsaba onTuesday, and onThursdayhispre-trialdetentionwasorderedatthe Gyula Court.

The HungarianEvangelicalFellowship (and nowitseconomicdirector and one of itsheads of institutions) cameunderfirefromtheauthoritiesbecause in 2011 theparliamentpassed an unconstitutionalchurchlaw, retroactively and withfalsedefamatoryjustification, strippingthechurch status of severaldenominations, includingtheHEF.

The currentsituation is thatthegovernment, in thecasewonbythechurchbeforethe Strasbourg Court of Human Rights, has onlyacknowledgedthepastviolation of thelaw, butfrom 2017 onwardsitcontinuestousediscriminatoryadministrativemeansagainstthechurch, creatinglegislationthat has beenchanged again and again tomakeourdisenfranchisementlooklegitimate.

As a result, thepublictaskspreviouslycarried out withbasic and additionalfundinghavebeendeprived of theadditionalfunding, whichrepresentsaround 40% of ourbudget. Over thepastdecade and a half, theremaining 60% has beenusedtopaysalaries, providemealsforchildren, ensuretheireducation, careforthehomeless, thesick and theelderly. It is notsurprisingthat 100% of theworkdonewithresidualfunding is onceunsustainablebecause of thepolitics of powerthatpreventsnegotiation.

The NAV (HungarianTaxAuthority) and alltheotherauthoritieshaveseenthatthechurch has paiditspublicdebtsbothfromthe Strasbourg compensationand intheprocess, whenit has beenabletodoso.

Sotheyhavetakenawayourfundamentalrights, theyhavereducedtheamount of fundingwereceiveforpublictasksthathavebeenfullycarried out, and nowtheywanttopenaliseusforhavingmanagedtokeepusgoingforthirteenyearsontheresidualamount.

Wecontinuetocountonthemoral and financialsupport of people of goodwill. Thisnotonlyencouragesus, but is essentialforourcontinuedoperation.The politicalbackground of thepersecution of István Ónodi, theotherhead of theinstitution and ourchurch, is welldemonstratedbythefactthataftertheofficialseizure of allourofficialdocumentstwoyearsago (whichhavenotbeenreturned), oureconomicdirectorwassearched and takenaway in handcuffs, and thepressclosetothegovernment (e.g. an article in Thursday’s Index) is statingthatone of thereasonsfortheproceedingswastheactions of Anna Donáth and Zita GurmaiMPs, whoallegedlyobstructedtheauthorities’ workduringtheharshcoercivemeasurestwoyearsago.

We stand bytheinnocence of István Ónodi and ourcolleague in charge of theinstitution and willfightwithalllegalmeanstocleartheirnames.

Wecallontheauthoritiesto:

– István Ónodi be releasedwithoutdelay;

– stop thepoliticallymotivatedcampaignagainsttheHEFsince 2010, takingawayourconstitutional and fundamentalrights, whichwehavebeenexercisingfordecades;

– immediatelywithdrawtheProsecutor’smotion, acceptedbytheCuria, toonce again downgradetheHEF’secclesiastical status;

– ensurethefinancial backing forthework of theHEF, which has beentaken over fromthestate and has beencarried out fordecades (despite unfair deductions in recentyears), as is thecasewithothersimilarinstitutions.

The country is preparing for local elections and electionstothe EU Parliament. Public life is overshadowedbyseriousscandals. The siphoning of publicfundsfromthebudgetcontinuesunabated. The bottomone-tenth of thesociety in whichweworklives in undignifiedabjectpoverty. In thissituation, wealsorepresenttherights of thehumiliated and aggrieved and providethecaretheyneed, ratherthanthestate. Todeliberatelydestroyourwork, ourchurch life, whichbeganbeforetheregimechange, would be a politicalactionthat is unworthy of dignity.

Gábor Iványi