1987. december (144-152. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2

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24/D Líttle Rutsell Street, LONDONI, W.C.L -Ttl.Ol-M H 26 ■ G. Krassi 151/1987 (E) 29th December, 1987

Criminal Case in Subotica Due to"National Minority Incitement"

News has arrived írom Yugoslavia that Karoly Vicéi, a 43 year old who lives in Senta, was arrested on November 5th and is held on remand. Vicéi is accused of inciting a national minority by the recently issued indictment. The trial will take piacé in Subotica.

Karoly Vicéi already recognised prejudice towards the national minorities in his school years. He could only complete his secondary education at night school bút afterwards during the more liberal second half of the sixties he was able to énről fór a Hungárián language and literature course atNoviSad university. Bút when cold winds began to blow once more he was expelled from the university and could nőt finish his diploma exams. After this he taught in Senta bút when he tried to organise a Hungárián experimental theatre with his friend Jenő Gordos they were arrested, accused of disseminating hostile propaganda and sentenced to two years; Vicéi was alsó seriously beaten up by the police.

After his release Vicéi tried to continue his literary and theatrical activities bút he could only secure a post as an employee in a canning factory.Police harass- ment continued and Vicéi ccmplained many times about discrimination. Since serving his prison sentence - almost ten years ago - he has nőt received a passport and a few months ago he iniated proceedings against the provinciái Interior Mini stry in Vcjvodina.

According to the indictment issued recently Vicéi conducted öiscussions regulariy whose intention was to "destroy the peaceful coexistence of the national minorities and nations living in Yugoslavia". He announced fór subversive purposes that the Hungarians are beset by injustices, that their chances fór literary, intellectual and generál cultural creativity and development are limited, that it is hard to organise Hungárián events, that works by Hungárián writers are more strictly controlled and if they deal with national minority problems they are branded as nationalists. According to the indictment Vicéi alsó declared that university students are discriminated against as education in the native tongue and special literature are nőt available in the numbers required. Citizens of Hungárián origin must speak Serbo-Croat while those of Slavic origin do nőt have to speak Hungárián. According to the indictment Vicéi said that all these problems would nőt arise if Vo jvodinabelonged to Hungary once more. According to official data 420,000 Hungarians live in Vojvodina.

In recent years national minority movements have strengthened in Yugoslavia and the authorities are afraid that public disturbances may spread to Vajdaság. At the end of October - a few days before Vicéi’s árrést - about 4000university students organised a demonstration in Növi Sad.The Slovenian intellectuals alsó speak up with increasing courage and one of their leading figures Tárás Kermauner is a friend of Vicéi*s.

Karoly Vicéi is regarded as an old offender: in a few weeks it will be ten years since he was released. The maximum sentence fór such a criminal action is, according to the indictment, 12 years.

The case has provoked great interest as only a few Hungarians have been imprisoned in Yugoslavia in the 80s. Vicéi*s defense was taken on by a famous Belgrade lawyer Srdan Popovic, the Vojvodina Writers Union requested in a letter that the Suko- tica Court thoroughly investigates the grounds fór the charges. Amnesty International has announced that it will follow Karoly Vicéi*s case.