You're reading: Hungarian state TV staffers on hunger strike fired

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian media officials say two employees who have been on hunger strike for over two weeks in protest at alleged political meddling with journalists' work in state-funded media have been fired.

MTVA, the state Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund, said Tuesday that Balazs Nagy Navarro and Aranka Szavuly were dismissed because their fast — in which they have only been ingesting liquids since Dec. 10 — is illegal and a "provocation" of their employer.

Nagy Navarro told the AP that the dismissals were "shameful and trample on legal security." He said six people were currently taking part in the hunger strike, including another state media employee and three activists.

Several media trade unions and opposition parties repudiated the dismissals.