Ukrainian FM: Hungary is sinking into a vicious circle of lawlessness

"Hungary is sinking into a vicious circle of lawlessness. After stealing money from the Ukrainian state bank, they are now submitting a bill to 'legalize' this. This is a de facto admission that Hungary's actions had no legal basis," Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs wrote after Máté Kocsis submitted a bill regarding the assets seized from Ukrainian cash transport vehicles.

In his justification for the bill, Kocsis said that many things remain unclear in connection with the case that has become known in Hungary as the "Ukrainian gold convoy."

The bill concerns the "unusual amount" of cash and gold transported through Hungary, and Kocsis proposed that the assets seized last week be considered confiscated until the end of the proceedings initiated by the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV). The Fidesz-delegated member of the Parliament's National Security Committee said that the authorities are investigating how the purpose and use of the transported assets affect national security.

According to Sybiha, Kocsis's proposal "only adds further lawlessness to the existing situation." The Ukrainian foreign minister promised that all those involved would be held accountable.

"Not only because of the misappropriation of funds, but primarily because of the cruel treatment of seven Ukrainian citizens, which violates the European Convention on Human Rights and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations."

On Monday, Andrii Sybiha called it "surprising, at the very least" that Hungary had still not returned the assets seized last Thursday, which were being transported through the country by Ukrainian cash-in-transit vehicles. The minister condemned the Hungarian authorities' actions from the outset, calling them "state terrorism." According to him, Ukraine does not accept ultimatums and blackmail.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned Antal Heizer, Hungary's ambassador to Ukraine on Monday. They expressed their strong objection to the actions of the Hungarian authorities when, as they say, they illegally detained the Ukrainian citizens who were transporting the money. According to the Ukrainians, this violated Hungary's international legal obligations, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the Ukrainian-Hungarian Consular Agreement. They consider it unacceptable that Ukrainian citizens were intimidated and subjected to psychological pressure.

The detainment of the Ukrainian cash transporters on Thursday added further strain to the already tense Hungarian-Ukrainian relations. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the Hungarian authorities had "effectively taken hostage" the employees of the Ukrainian state savings bank. The minister also hinted at sanctions against Hungary in a post saying that those behind the operation would be held accountable.

The seven Ukrainian citizens detained while transporting the assets were taken from the scene with their faces covered and handcuffed by members of the TEK and NAV special forces. According to the Ukrainians' lawyer, there was nothing unusual about the shipment they were transporting from Austria to Ukraine, and they were not personally suspected of anything.