 A mai napon pontosan négy év telt el a röszkei tüntetések óta, amikor a magyar készenléti rendőrség és a TEK megtámadta a határok és mozgásszabadság korlátozása ellen tüntető migránsokat. A 2015 szeptemberi tüntetések során a hatóságok tizenegy embert tartóztattak le, akiket később bíróság elé állítottak.
Ahmed H.-t, a tizenegy letartóztatott ember egyikét a bíróság először 10, majd 7, végül 5 év börtönbüntetésre ítélte. 2019 január 19-én, miután letöltötte börtönbüntetése két harmadát, Ahmed H.-t elméletileg feltételesen szabadlábra helyezték. Azonban ahelyett hogy hazatérhetett volna, átszállították a nyírbátori immigrációs börtönbe. Mielőtt börtönbe került, Ahmed H. több mint tíz évig élt Cipruson a feleségével és gyerekeivel. Ciprust azért hagyta el, hogy elkísérje a Szíriából Európába menekülő szüleit. Így bár korábban ‘legálisan’ tartózkodott Cipruson, a börtönbüntetése során a vízuma lejárt. Annak ellenére hogy a ciprusi hatóságok hónapokon keresztül hitegették, hogy hamarosan meghosszabítják a vízumát és végre hazatérhet, végül kiderült, hogy az állam elutasította a vízumkérelmét. A ciprusi belügyminisztérium kijelentette, hogy Ahmed H. jelenléte biztonsági fenyegetés és nem kaphat vízumot. Úgy tűnik nincs olyan állam, ami befogadná Ahmedet, így továbbra is a magyar börtönben van. Az elmúlt néhány hónapban nem volt lehetőségünk publikálni az ügyről, mivel Ahmed családja egészen eddig nem akarta hogy bármi is nyilvánosságra kerüljön az újabb fejleményekről. Annak ellenére hogy hallgattunk, nem tűntünk el. A tárgyalás során sokan támadták a magyar államot. A liberális sajtó, nemzetközi szervezetek, sőt még az Európai Parlament is harsányan kritizálta Magyarországot azzal érvelve, hogy a magyar kormány intézkedései figyelmen kívül hagyják a közös európai elveket. A ciprusi intézkedések bizonyítják, hogy Ahmed H. helyzete nem kizárólag egy ‘demokráciaellenes’, ‘diktatorikus’ rezsim produktuma. A rasszista anti-immigrációs és anti-terrorista diskurzus elemi része az egységes ‘Európa’ ideáljának, és az európai határok rendszerének – amelyet minden európai állam követ. A jelenlegi helyzetben minden szolidaritási akció elengedhetetlen, amely a ciprusi államot és annak intézményeit célozza! Ahhoz hogy Ahmed H.-t végre szabadon engedjék és hazatérhessen erős nemzetközi nyomásra van szükség. Ciprus kormányának lehetővé kell tennie, hogy Ahmed H. kiszabaduljon a börtönből és ismét a családjával lehessen! Terjesszéteket a híreket és szolidaritást! Sose felejtsük el az Erőd rabjait! Szabadságot Ahmed H.-nak!  Today four years have passed since the “Röszke riot”, the attack of the Hungarian riot police and TEK (counter-terrorism unite) on protesting migrants against borders and limitation of freedom of movement in 16th of September 2015. During and after this riot eleven people were arrested and later faced a court trial. Ahmed H., one of the arrested eleven people was convicted for terrorism and sentenced first to 10, than to 7 and on the last court instance to 5 years prison.
On the 19th of January 2019 he was supposed to get released on parole, after he finished two third of his sentence. But instead of returning home, he was transferred to the immigration prison in Nyirbátor, in the east of Hungary. He was waiting for months there for Cyprus to renew his visa, which expired during the time he spent in prison . He used to live in Cyprus before his arrest for more than ten years together with his wife and children. He left the country and ended at Hungarian-Serbian border, because he accompanied his parents from Syria to Europe. Although the authorities promised him that he can return home with his renewed visa after the administration procedure is over, after months of waiting he learnt, that the government of Cyprus refused his return. The interior ministry of Cyprus stated that he is a security threat and cannot get visa. There is apparently no state willing to let Ahmed enter, so he remains trapped in the Hungarian jail. In the last months we could not publish anything about the case because his family did not want to go public with this further developments until now. We were silent, but we did not disappear. During the trial, there was very strong criticism against the Hungarian state. The liberal media, international organisations, and even the EU parliament were accusing Hungary of not respecting european values. Cyprus’ refusal to renew Ahmed’s visa prove, that his situation is not exclusively the fault of an ‘undemocratic’, ‘dictatorial’ regime. The racist anti-immigrant and anti-terrorist discourse is an essential part of the idea of ‘Europe’ and the european border regime, that all european states follow. This is a call for solidarity actions targeting this time the Cyprian state and its institutions. A strong international public pressure is needed for Ahmed’s release and return home. The government of Cyprus has to let him join his family again and be finally free from the imprisonment! Spread the news, spread solidarity! Let us not forget the prisoners of the Fortress! Freedom for Ahmed H.!  Those barbed wires… Even seeing them from a distance makes you feel shaking cold. The prison’s parking lot is full of cars, there are no other visitors just employees, what gives you the feeling that half of that small town works in the prison. During the conversation with the guards, they are correcting us to not use the term “prison”, because it is a closed type of “reception center”, as if there would be any difference between these two damn institutions.
We came here to visit Ahmed, who was released from the prison on the 19th of January after 3 1/2 years. The trial is over. We are somehow speechless, captured between hope and rage about the conviction. We need to reflect upon the final verdict and will soon publish a statement. For now, all our thoughts and messages are with Ahmed!
Nonetheless we share with you a statement of the international observation delegation, amongst others formed by European Civic Forum and Swiss Democratic Lawyers: (get their pdf in English // Deutsch // Francais)  It has been three years since Ahmed H. is arrested. Terrible three years, since the criminal state of Hungary is keeping him as a hostage in the isolation of Venyige prison (Budapest).
Ahmed has been waiting in incarceration for another six months, for the next chapter of this badly performed political theatre play, the continuation of his trial, which will take place on the 20th September in Szeged. What can we expect from the coming court hearing? Wrong question. No matter what the rhetoric of the second level court will be, no matter what they pretend, we all know: there is NO JUSTICE on state court. Ahmed H’s immediate freedom is the only acceptable outcome. Repeating the same sentences over the last three years became so bitter that we don't know what is more painful: our screams in a society, which is pacified by the racist and sexist ethno-nationalist state propaganda, while the local oligarchy and international capital ransacks it; or the silence of the so-called „alternative scene” which remains after each court hearing. Although there are people who can finally visit Ahmed twice a month, he still does not receive letters even from these contact persons. Since June this year, there is a ban on food packages. It means that Ahmed (and all other prisoners) are not allowed to receive any food from outside. The expensive, online prison shop with choco-candy products of terrible quality is the only platform to order food from. As Ahmed cannot eat most of the prison food, he was depending completely on the packages that his family and friends were sending him. The control of food consumption is another strategy of the state to increase the torture of prisoners and make the prison system even more profitable. Let’s not forget the brutal attack of the Hungarian state on demonstrators for free movement on the 16th of September 2015! By remembering and speaking up against the violence that no court will mention, we resist the creation of another manipulative historical narrative, that only serves to legitimize the violence of a nation-state. Let’s speak up and act against the everyday police violence on the borders (and the streets, and institutions, everywhere)! The so called „Balkan route” is not closed, just the tariffs of travelling increased and the journey became more dangerous. For all those who share the pain and the anger we call to show solidarity with Ahmed in all forms! REVOLUTIONARY SOLIDARITY WITH ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! AGAINST PRISONS, STATES, AND CAPITAL! FREEDOM TO AHMED H.! Next trial against Ahmed H. on the 20th September 2018 in Hungary
Call for solidarity and international trial observation in Szeged, Hungary On the 20th of September 2018, the trial of the Hungarian State against Ahmed H. is going to the second level of court – for the second time. 20th of September, 9 am Re-Trial of 2nd level court Address: Szegedi Ítélőtábla (Regional Court of Appeal) 6721 Szeged Sóhordó utca 5 Ahmed H. has been convicted for “terrorism” in Hungary, because he has been protesting with thousands of refugees at the Serbian-Hungarian border crossing of Röszke in September 2015, when Hungary suddenly closed its borders to the people traveling through. The case against Ahmed H. is a political show trial by the current Fidesz government of Victor Orbán. To stir up their racist rhetoric’s, they needed a scapegoat to keep up the fear of the apparent “Muslim terrorist invaders”. They constructed absurd allegations against Ahmed, with no evidence to ground them (read our report on the last trial here). On the first instance court in March 2018 (held for the second time), Ahmed has been sentenced to 7 years in prison. This was just before the presidential elections. The Orbán government has not been shy in constructing Ahmed as proof of the foreign threat of which Orbán wants to protect Hungary and Europe. The defense, as well as the prosecution have appealed against the decision. Now, the second instance court will decide again. We cannot let Ahmed H. alone in this absurd trial. As he has pointed out, if we ignore his trial, he might be only the first victim of this new far-right juridical system: “If they can punish me, they can punish everyone. Through this trial they create a new law. I was just one person in a crowd of many people and they punish me for terrorism. If they do this to me, they can also do this for any other people in a crowd in the future." Ahmed has already spent three years in Jail. He needs to get out now! We need to be present, monitor the trial and show solidarity with Ahmed H.! Spread the Information! Come to Szeged! Show your rage to the Hungarian Government! #FreeAhmed #FreeTheRöszke11 stay tuned: @freetheroszke11 Some days ago we visited Ahmed in jail, which is absorbing the massive heat of the current period, especially the cells facing the sun, like Ahmeds.
The prison administration has introduced a new prison online-shopping system, so that relatives and friends cannot send packages to the people in prison any longer. Only goods that are purchased in this privately-owned online shop will be forwarded to the inmates. Thereby the shopping guidelines allow only one unit of honey or 5 chocolate bars per purchase. Absurd, but nonetheless the logical consequence of a neoliberal prison complex, producing, restricting and at the same time profiting of the prisoners. Of course the variety of products is minimalistic. Ahmed drew the conclusion: "they don't let us have the food we need, because they don't want us to feel human in here." We talked about the upcoming trial on September 20th 2018 and Ahmed pointed out its political character: "I just realized why they are doing it: If they can punish me, they can punish everyone. Through this trial they create a new law. I was just one person in a crowd of many people and they punish me for terrorism. If they do this to me, they can also do this for any other people in a crowd in the future." But also aware of the racism within Europe he added: „Though I wonder, would they do the same to a EU citizens? to a German? or an US citizen? Would they? I don't think so! They can just do this to me because I am from Syria." After our visit, Ahmed was expecting a visits from a journalist. Media outlets do not visit in the common visitation room with glass in between and neither in Ahmeds cell, he tells us. Interviews with journalists always happen in a nicer cell in a another block, which is presented as his own. On Aug. 7, after being postponed twice, the trial for the riot in Harmanli started. We are sharing the call for solidarity from Sofia here:
This letter is addressing the Hungarian Ambassador in Switzerland. The letter is written by the European Civic Forum. They are calling to send the letter also to other Hungarian authorities.
You can download their prepared letters here (German, French, English). See below the Hungarian translation.  Dear all who supported Ahmed H. financially at the last crowdfunding!
As some of you might have seen, the amount that you donated was transferred back by Indiegogo to you bank account. Unfortunately, Generosity, the website we used for the crowdfunding campaign was devoured by another international corporation called GoFundMe, and all the money that was not withdrawn from the website was sent back to the donors. It means, the campaign lost the whole amount of the second crowdfuning campaign ("Justice for Ahmed H. - Foundraising for the lawyer), which is 2650 $. The money would have been used directly to finance the lawyer, whose fee is a large amount of money and is still not completely covered. If your financial capacities still allow you, we'd like to ask you to donate the money again on the bank account mentioned below. Ahmed H. and his family still really needs your support and solidarity! Free the Röszke 11 Solidarity Network Bank details: Account holder: Rote Hilfe e.V. Ortsgruppe Frankfurt Catchword: Röszke 11 IBAN: DE24 4306 0967 4007 2383 90 BIC: GENODEM1GLS |
