EU commissioner speaks out on Hungarian police action

Rubber bullets should not be used against demonstrators, officers should wear indentification badges, and the cases of those who claim to have been victims of police brutality during last fall's political protests should be fully investigated, said Franco Frattini, European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, in Budapest on Wednesday.

At a meeting with members of Hungary's Parliamentary committes on European affairs and human rights, Frattini said that the country's police should act in a more professional manner in order to prevent peaceful demonstrations from turning into riots. He added that the police, who represent the state, should also be protected.

Frattini listened to briefings from Katalin Gönczöl, head of the committee appointed by the government to investigate the incidents, Krisztina Morvai, co-head of an "alternative" committee, and other members of the two committees.

Summarizing her committee's report, Gönczöl pointed out that proposals had been made related to alleged shortcomings of the law on assembly, and the lack of a police strategy. She stressed that the committee had proposed banning rubber bullets and making identification badges for officers compulsory.

Morvai emphasized that victims of police violence and eyewitnesses should be listened to, adding that hundreds were injured physically or mentally during the events of September and October.

György Wiener (MSZP), a member of the committee on human rights, stressed that the Hungarian government believes the respect of basic human rights is fundamentally important, but ensuring constitutional order is also a fundamental task.

Ilona Ékes, an opposition member of the committee on human rights, recounted her personal experience of visiting a jail after September's events. She said that some of the protesters taken into custody were undressed, and had been assigned numbers, rather than being addressed by their names.

József Veres, a Socialist member of the committee on European affairs, said the most important task was to make sure that the events of last year are not repeated.

Frattini said that the testimony indicates that Hungary does not have the same level of experience with mass demonstrations as other European Union member states. He also expressed his hopes that the government will be able to prevent similar events from happening during the demonstrations planned for the March 15 national holiday.

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