1987. március (14-32. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
OTMí 24/D little RuíscII Street, LONDON, WC.1 ■ Ttl. OI-VO n 26 ■ G. Kr<x saó 31/1987/3/ 27th March, 1987 Zsolt Keszthelyi remains in custody The parents of Zsolt Keszthelyi,presently under prosecution fór refusing to do military service,have heen informed by the military prosecutor's Office on the 26th of March fhat their son*s áefehtian has been prolonged. Zsolt Keszthelyi,born in Baja and living in Budapest, was arrested on the 25th of February,after he failed to obey the call-up order. Keszthelyi - an editor of independent (samizdat) publications - had previously sent back his military registration document to the recruiting center together with a decla- ration in which he proclaimed his reluctance to serve in an army, which is nőt subject to control by a democratically elected government.( See 1987 reports No. 8, 12, 13, 14, 15> 16 of Hungárián October Information Centre ). Zsolt Keszthelyi is kept in the Gyorskocsi Street prison of Budapest.His trial was to take piacé on the 3rd of March, bút shortly before the appointed time the members of the audience at present were told that the trial won't be held fór the time being; no reasons were given fór the postponement.Those who reject military service on religious grounds are usually brought to court and sentenced within 6 days on the strength of paragraph 346 of the Prosecution Act; the reason why Hungárián authorities departed from this procedure in the case of Zsolt Keszthelyi, refusing military service on the grounds of his poli- tical conviction, is nőt known. Nobody was allowed to visit Zsolt Keszthelyi in prison since his árrést more than a month ago, although the regulations in force permit to récéivé two visitors once in a month.Zsolt Keszthelyi cannot have as defendant the barrister he has named; he was told that he can only be defended by one of those registered by the prosecutor's Office. Friends of Zsolt Keszthelyi have been repeatedly requesting Amnesty International to gather information about his case on the spot - in Budapest - and'to take steps on his behalf.
