The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) has reported a series of procedural and international law violations by Hungarian authorities during the March 5 detention of seven state-owned Oschadbank employees.
According to the MFA, the interception took place on the Budapest ring road and was carried out by Hungary’s Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK). The convoy was transporting cash and gold from Raiffeisen Bank International AG in Vienna to Kyiv under an international contract. The ministry stated that despite the shipment being documented according to European customs procedures and the staff being unarmed, the detention involved the use of an armored personnel carrier.
Oschadbank has confirmed the details of the statement to Kyiv Post. Earlier, the bank stated that while the staff returned to Ukraine on March 6, two armored vehicles and assets totaling approximately $79 million remain in Hungary.
“Hungarian law enforcement officers did everything possible to deprive the detained Ukrainians of any support. The detainees were subjected to psychological and physical pressure,” the MFA stated according to a publication on its website.
Following the return of Oschadbank’s employees to Ukraine, the ministry cited several violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the European Convention on Human Rights, as follows:
- The staff reported being held in shackles for 28 hours and moved while blindfolded. Their personal belongings, including phones, were seized, preventing them from contacting the embassy or their families.
- Hungarian authorities reportedly ignored requests for a consul and denied access to legal counsel. The lawyer for the detainees also said in an interview with Kyiv Post that no one was allowed into the TEK building.
- One employee with a disability and diabetes did not receive medical attention until he lost consciousness. The MFA alleges he was then administered improper medication that caused a spike in blood sugar and hypertension, requiring hospitalization.
- The staff were reportedly denied the right to provide testimony in their native Ukrainian, with officials communicating only in Russian. Both requests for a consul and access to their designated legal counsel were ignored.
The MFA noted that although the employees held the status of witnesses and were not formally accused of any crime, they were ordered to be deported with a three-year ban on entering the Schengen Area. The ministry described these measures as an unjustified reaction to the employees’ testimonies.
The assets – consisting of $40 million, €35 million, and 9kg of gold – are currently being held as evidence in a money-laundering investigation against an “unknown perpetrator.” Lead attorney Dr. Lóránt Horváth explained to Kyiv Post that the employees were questioned only as witnesses.
Ukraine is demanding the immediate return of the armored vehicles and the seized valuables. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is understood to have already verified all documentation for the transportation and found no irregularities. The MFA stated that Ukraine would seek a response at an international level, including from the European Commission, regarding the treatment of its citizens and the detention of state-owned property.
Kyiv Post has submitted a request to the European Commission and is waiting for a response.