1987. március (14-32. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
1 ^ SfXímMM (^) @(P> CÍM 24/D Little Rotsell Street, LONDON, WC i ■ Trl 04-^0 n 26 ■ G. Krassó 15/1987 /E/ Jrd March, 1987 The trial of Zsolt Keszthelyi has been postponed The trial of Zsolt Keszthelyi, arrested on the 25th of February fór refusing military service, has been postponed. The 23 years old Zsolt Keszthelyi, living in Budapest, who is one of the organizers and contributors of the Hungárián independent press, was called up fór military service in Kiskunfélegyháza. The call-up - to commence on the 25th of February, 1987 - was issued after the police searched his home on the 4-th of February.On the 18th of February Keszthelyi posted his military registration document to the military authorities together with a declaration, in which he stated his refusal to serve, because he was unwilling to serve in an army, which is nőt under the control of a democratically elected government.This is the first known case in Hungary, when military service is rejected nőt fór pacifist, bút fór political reasons. On the 25th of February Keszthelyi was arrested andtaken to the prison of the FŐ Street military prosecutor's office.On the lst of March 2ó members of the Hungárián democratic opposition movement expressed in a joint statement their solidarity with Keszthelyi's action, and asked the authorities to drop the charge or to judge the case mildly. On the 27th of February Zsolt Keszthelyi's friends were informed by the military prosecutor Lt. Colonel István Tóth, that the criminal case of Keszthelyi would be tried as early as the 3rd of March.Paragraph 346 of the Prosecution Act namely permits perpetrators of a military erime to be brought to court within 6 days, provided that the law doesn't order fór his action a punishment lasting lon- ger than five years, that evidence is available and the accused has pleaded guil- ty. These conditions did prevail in Keszthelyi's case ( the refusal of military service - in peacetime - is punishable by 1-5 years in prison according to the law), bút already in the afternoon hours of that same day, the 27th of February, other employees of the military prosecutor's Office gave contradictory information about the date of the trial. On the 3^d of March admission tickets were distributed at the reception of the FŐ Street military prosecutor's Office and military court fór those wishing to attend the proceedings, bút later on those at present were told that the trial of Keszthelyi would nőt be proceeded with this speeded-up method after all, so he would be tried following the usual procedure and that it's unlikely that the date of his trial would be set before the 29th of March. On that same morning three persons, who refused military service on religious grounds were sentenced using the "brought to court", i.e. the speeded-up procedure. Thus the danger exists that the authorities intend to bring other more serious charges against Keszthelyi and it is fór this reason that they had to forego the "brought to court" (within six days) procedure. At the same time somé of the members of the Hungárián democratic opposition hold the opinion, that the trial was postponed by the authorities in consequence of Western rádió and press reports on the case, because the authorities would like to avoid all possible further internatiomal echo immediately before the British Foreign Secretary's visit to Hungary. . £j '
