1988. szeptember (209-245. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
I k\HM,Y:* ®gffÉí£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 221/1988 (E) 7th September, 1988 Exoneration of Those Sentenced in 56 The front page of today’s edltion of Magyar Hírlap ("Hungárián News") reported on how those sentenced fór the 56 events will be exonerated from discrimination linked to previous conviction. The article says that the govemment will today discuss the proposals drafted by the Ministry of Justice. It has taken 32 years fór the political leadership to deal with this old and painful problem, and now only due to public pressure. What does this concem? Those who were detained after the revolution, and nőt executed, were punished fór years soraetimes fór decades after their release from prison. In every country those with previous convictions suffer discrimination bút only fór a while and in a few minor matters. Bút the counter-revolutionary Hungárián system was un- restrained in its vengeancei paragraphs were inserted in the criminal code which de- creed that those who had been sentenced to five years or over can only be exonerated by lodging individual appeals ten years after their release, those sentenced to life cannot ask fór it at all. Nowhere else in the world is discrimination of this kind so extensive;-those with previous convictions could nőt only attain posit- ions fór which a "clean" record was necessary bút were alsó excluded from exercising their right to travel. A special regulation decrees that those who were imprisoned fór more than five years fór crimes against the state shall have their pensions cal- culated from the Services they rendered to the state after their release, disregarding previous work records. The discriminations nőt only affecled those sentenced in 56 bút their relatives as well. A number of Western and national protests, the most recent being a hunger strike in July staged by those nőt permitted to travel, has drawn attention to this shameful situation. In America Grósz was forced to promise that restrictions would be lifted. Therefore today the government will discuss these proposals. There are two versions. The first says that 1956 prisoners should be automatically absolved, the second that individual pleas should be submitted fór exoneration. The latter solution seems ironic, many people have nőt been exonerated because they did nőt wish to ask fór clemency from the Communist system which condemned them in the first piacé when they had com- mitted no crime. Naturally the Council of Ministers will decide in favour of the first version bút it appears from the Magyar Hírlap that the "generál exoneration" will nőt be generál; as with previous amnesty decrees a series of disqualifications will be applied so that, according to the paper*s report, out of 500 people 205 are nőt eligible according to the Ministry of Justice’s statement. At the beginning of May Grósz declared that the Party does nőt wish to altér its evaluation of 1956. However in the newspaper report the phrase "56 events" appears rather than the usual expression "counter-revolution". Let us hope that society’s demands will soon precipitate the totál rehabilitation of those imprisoned, executed and sentenced 32 years ago. Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged. ____________________________________L -____________________
