1988. január (1-16. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
The Hungárián police arrested László Rusai, an editor of samizdat journal Égtájak között (Between Points of the Compass). Rusai was first arrested in 1985, a year later he was dragged off to forced treatment in a mentái hospital. Now he is again pút under "psychiatric observation" in the prison. If an international protest cannot prevent it, Rusai may become a victim of political psychiatry. Meanwhile the chaos has affected even the police. During the year more than 120,000 forint fines were levied on members of the democratic op- position, bút most of them haven't paid it off. In November the police tried to imprison them bút, after international protest, they hastily with- drew their decisions. The government has boasted abroad that passport regulations would be liberalized from January 1st onwards and travelling would truly become a "citizen right". Bút, as a matter of fact, political discrimination remains. Two days before the end of the year Tamás Molnár, a member of the INCONNU Independent Árts Group, was banned from travelling abroad fór 3 years because "when abroad, he behaved in a way nőt befitting to a citizen of the Hungárián People's Republic". He is the fourth person about whom it is known that their passports have been con- fiscated recently fór the same reason. A similar fate awaits Péter Bokros, another member of the INCONNU group. The police looked fór him on December 31 st bút he was nőt at home. Bokros is summoned to the police by January 4th and he was ordered to have his passport with him. According to a Budapest joke Kádár won't resign until he can leave the country in the same state of affairs in which it was when he came to power (in 1956). n- 2 -
