Screenshot of the video depicting the arrest released by Hungary’s Counter Terrorism Center (TEK). (Screengrab from video by the government of Hungary / Facebook) Hungary said it had arrested a former Ukrainian diplomat in broad daylight on Friday in downtown Budapest for alleged espionage acts. In a video released alongside Saturday’s public statement by Budapest on Facebook, a man in a black jacket could be seen being held face down on the floor, surrounded by armed law enforcement officers in full gear. The statement says Hubgary’s Counter Terrorism Center (TEK) arrested a “Ukrainian citizen” on Friday for alleged “espionage activities,” adding that the suspect “previously carried out his work under diplomatic cover,” whose diplomatic status has since been revoked. “Late yesterday afternoon, TEK officers arrested a Ukrainian citizen in downtown Budapest. The National Directorate of Immigration issued an entry and residence ban on him due to espionage activities,” the statement says. “After clarifying the situation, the authority deported the middle-aged man from Hungary during the night, given that his activities greatly endangered the sovereignty of our country. The person concerned previously carried out his work under diplomatic cover, but his official status has now ceased,” it adds. The highly publicized arrest came after Ukraine on Friday accused Budapest of operating a spy ring in western Ukraine, particularly regions with ethnic Hungarians, to gauge local reactions to a potential Hungarian invasion. Source: www.kyivpost.com
Hungary Arrests Ex-Ukrainian Diplomat in Broad Daylight as Tensions Soar
