1988. március (32-68. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
I ÍYirji _ F&E S 1? (2 II 8 ö ^rí>rYfn/í IjLULFC^ H: íi^>&/-".?a d2Q Sllliilllnk Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 55/1988 (E) I6th March, 1988 Those Arrested At Dawn On March 15th Are Released On March 15th at 5 am eight people were arrested in their flats by the police and taken to the Budapest National Prison or as it is better known the Transit Prison and placed in solitary cells. They were informed that they were suspected of plan- ning to disturb the March 15th celebration. Those arrested denied the charge; Tamás Molnár and Ottília Solt who was taken írom her sick bed went on hunger strike. In the evening two telegrammes arrived in Hungary: írom the American based Helsinki Watch organisation whióidemanded their release írom the Hungárián Republic’s Presidential Council and from Susan Sontag who, on behalf of 2100 N American writers and literary organisations, asked Tibor Cseres the president of the Hungárián Writers Union and Béla Köpeczi the Minister of Culture and Education to intervene on their behalf. In Budapest 28 people - including the writer Miklós Mészöly and Sándor Csoóri - signed the following declaration: "Before our national celebration the police tried to deter our compatriots from demonstrating with a succession of house searches, interrogations and intimidating propaganda. At dawn on March 15th Gábor Demszky, György Gado, Miklós Haraszti, Tamas Molnár, Jenő Nagy, Ottília Solt, Róbert Pálinkás and Sándor Racz were arrested. The repressive measures used against the Democratic Opposition did nőt succeed. More than 10,000 citizens processed around the traditional monuments of the 18^8 revolution demanding press freedom, political rights and democracy. We protest against police dictatorship and we demand the immediate release of those arrested and a review of the political and legal proceedings. The auth- orities must honour the constitutional rights to speak and assemble. 16 pm March 15th, 1988." Between 10 pm and midnight those arrested were taken home in police cars. On March l6th the following "Police Report" appeared in the moming papers: "The competent police organs took the Budapest inhabitants Tamás Molnár, Róbert Pálinkás, Jenő Nagy, Sándor Rácz, György Gadó, Gábor Demszky, Ottília Solt and Miklós Haraszti ^ intő custody after a waming had been issued because of conduct aimed at breaching the peace at the March 15th celebration. They were released after questioning their wamings were documented in police records." ;: Those arrested spoke to the editor of the Hungárián October Information Centre. They told him that many of them had received no previous waming and that the police did nőt even attempt to prove their allegations. They alsó said that they only received the fictive "documented wamings" eighteen hours after their árrést and that no explanation was given as to why they were taken to the Penal Institute which is under Ministry of Justice control. éi Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
