The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-07-01 / 7. szám
»LVOV OBSERVER SPECIAL BULLETIN JUNE 1984 IMPRISONMENT AND MURDER OF HUNGARIANS IN RUMANIA AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA After our deadline three news items reached us from Hungary and Rumania (Transylvania): one about the death of a Hungarian catholic priest in Transylvania who died in the hospital after having been severely beaten up by the Rumanian police, another one about the imprisonment of a Hungarian teacher in Transylvania for 6 years for unknown reasons, a third one a writer in Czechoslovakia arrested on political charges. We urge our readers to write letters or telegrams to the respective state presidents, ministers of interior, or/and ambassadors to the U.S.A. and Canada asking information on the whereabout of the imprisoned one and the circumstances of death and imprisonments, urging the release of the prisoners still alive. Names and addresses follow the detailed description of the above cases. Experience indicates that the letter and telegram campaign by the general public and/or legislators does produce beneficial results in the treatment of the victims of totalitarian governments, and not once the tortured, imprisoned people were set free on the pressure of the public. REV. GÉZA PÁLFI, 43, Hungarian roman catholic priest in Cristurul Secuiesc (Székelykeresztur in Hungarian), Transylvania, was arrested, tortured and beaten up by the Rumanian security police of Tirgu Mures (Marosvásárhely in Hungarian) causing fatal liver and kidney injuries. Next morning, unconscious and in critical condition, Rev. Pálfi was taken to hospital where he died after two months treatment. Official cause of death: liver cancer. The alleged cause of his arrest is his 1983 Christmas sermon in which he made reference to the sufferings of the Hungarian minority in Transylvania. His funeral was attended by 206 catholic priests and a huge crowd. BÉLA PÁL, 55, Hungarian teacher in Ditrau (Ditro in Hungarian), Transylvania, was arrested by the Rumanian police on May 25, 1983. His wife was threatened not to tell anybody about the arrest because her husband would be back home in a couple of days. Yet after two months in jail Mr. Pál was charged that “he wanted to overthrow the socialist order”. He was sentenced for 6 years prison term without ever giving any detail of the charge. After appeal his conviction was upheld. In prison he can receive visitor twice a year only. Sending to him the necessary medicines was not permitted. According to doctors his stay in prison might cause his death. His wife assumes that the reasons of his husband’s conviction may be that: 1. Mr. Pál wrote a letter to the Rumanian television and radio asking for increased programs and broadcasts in Hungarian language. 2. In 1983 he spent two months in Budapest and participated at the funeral of Gyula Illyés, famous Hungarian writer and poet. MIKLÓS DURAY, a 39 year old advocate of Hungarian minority rights in Czechoslovakia was arrested on May 10 on political charges. According to the reports, together with Duray eight other Hungarian intellectuals have been repeatedly summoned for police interrogations during the past ten days. Duray was charged in Bratislava under Sections 112 and 119 of the criminal code with “activities contrary to «
