Total Of 100,000 People Urge Budapest To Release Syrian Convicted Of Terrorism - Watchdog

(@FahadShabbir)

Total of 100,000 People Urge Budapest to Release Syrian Convicted of Terrorism - Watchdog

A total of 100,000 people have signed a petition, delivered to the Hungarian Justice Ministry, demanding the release of Syrian national Ahmed H., who has been unfairly convicted of terrorism over clashes with Hungarian border police, a prominent watchdog said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2018) A total of 100,000 people have signed a petition, delivered to the Hungarian Justice Ministry, demanding the release of Syrian national Ahmed H., who has been unfairly convicted of terrorism over clashes with Hungarian border police, a prominent watchdog said on Wednesday.

Ahmed was arrested by the Hungarian authorities in 2015 at the Serbian-Hungarian border and admitted to throwing several stones. The man was allegedly trying to help his family to flee Syria amid the hostilities in the country. In November, 2016, the Syrian national was convicted of terrorism by a court under "Hungary's overly broad and vague anti-terrorism law," according to Amnesty International. On Thursday, an appeals court is set to rule on his conviction.

"The trial of Ahmed H is a test case for Hungary's so-called 'illiberal democracy' and exposes the way in which migrants and refugees are vilified, counter-terrorism laws are misused and the authorities ride roughshod over human rights," Eda Seyhan, Amnesty International's counterterrorism campaigner, said, as quoted in the statement.

The watchdog urged the Hungarian government to overrule the conviction of the Syrian national and "demonstrate willingness to change its path," as the European Parliament has recently voted to take action against Budapest for the latter's rejection of mandatory migrant quotas.

Hungary has long been critical of the European Union's open-door policy, initially introduced at the onset of the continent's migration crisis, and opposed the mandatory migrant relocation quotas. Budapest's stance prompted the European Commission to launch its first infringement procedure against Hungary over the latter's asylum legislation, which set up border fences and enhanced border control with neighboring Serbia, among other measures, in December 2015.