Former Budapest police chief sentenced over 2006 violence – UPDATE

Budapest, February 13 (MTI) – The appeals court of Budapest on Monday fined Peter Gergényi, the former Budapest police chief, 400,000 forints (EUR 1,290) in a case related police handling of violent anti-government riots in autumn 2006.

The court acquitted another defendant of charges of negligence and upheld the primary ruling for others, under which the procedures had been terminated in October 2015 for reasons of obsolescence.

The ruling Fidesz party in a statement derided the ruling as “unacceptable” and “appallingly mild”, adding that innocent demonstrators injured by police at the time had been sentenced more punitively in previous “show trials”. It is of paramount importance that the justice system provides “proportionate” punishments, the statement added.

UPDATE

Opposition Jobbik slammed the ruling, branding it as “another spit in the face” at Hungarian democracy.