Hungarian pastor Gabor Ivanyi said on Monday that assault charges brought against him and eight others were manufactured for political reasons by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, AFP reports.
The 74-year-old, who once officiated Orban’s wedding and is now a prominent critic of the Hungarian autocrat’s far-right drift, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted for “leading a group that committed violence against public officials.”
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Ivanyi told local media that it was “to be expected that they would do this” before next year’s elections – when Orban will face meaningful opposition for perhaps the first time in his 15-year rule.
“This is about them wanting to fight their political opponents,” Ivanyi said.
The alleged crime took place during a tax raid of a building operated by the charitable arm of Ivanyi’s Methodist church on Feb. 25, 2022, when 30 law enforcement officials forced entry despite the efforts of more than 100 protesters.
As per The Church Times, the government accused the church of committing fraud by refusing to pay the equivalent of more than $9 million in social security contributions.
Ivanyi’s church countered that the government had unlawfully withheld the equivalent of more than $36 million in state subsidies.
Although more than 100 people were involved in the altercation, only Ivanyi, six opposition figures, a former liberal EU lawmaker, and two others have been charged.
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In a 2019 interview with the New York Times, Ivanyi said that Orban’s government – which ran on a platform of traditional Christian values – had “nothing in common with Christianity,” adding that Orban’s policies are “against the teachings of Christ.”
“It is the exact opposite of what the Bible preaches about treating the poor, about justice, about responsible service,” he said.
The Hungarian government denies that Ivanyi’s prosecution is politically motivated.
Orban, who is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, is said to be seeking to form an anti-Ukraine alliance within the EU with Czechia and Slovakia.