Hungary detention: Oschadbank cash guard says he was held for 28 hours, handcuffed and given injections

An Oschadbank cash-in-transit guard has said he and his colleagues were kept handcuffed throughout their detention in Hungary in early March. He added that he was subjected to two injections in between questioning sessions.

Source: Hennadii Kuznietsov, a member of the Oschadbank cash-in-transit team detained in Hungary, during a briefing, as reported by European Pravda.

Details: Kuznietsov again recounted the circumstances of their detention on the Budapest ring road and revealed additional details.

He said that from the very moment of the forceful intervention, they were handcuffed and had bags or balaclavas placed over their heads. No procedural actions were carried out during the detention, apart from a question about whether they had weapons, which they do not carry when transporting valuables outside Ukraine. They were transported in separate vehicles to the premises of Hungary's Counterterrorism Centre and placed in separate rooms for questioning.

Quote from Kuznietsov: "The total time the team spent in handcuffs was more than 28 hours. The handcuffs were only removed at the Záhony-Chop border crossing; from the moment of detention until then, we remained handcuffed.

Neither during the detention nor during the actual stay at the premises of the Counterterrorism Centre were any investigative actions carried out. In response to our request for consular support and legal assistance, we were told that the consul had refused us and would not arrive, and that they were unable to find any lawyers."

More details: Kuznietsov said that the only element resembling investigative action occurred when individuals arrived, introducing themselves as representatives of the Hungarian customs investigative authorities, and told him he would be questioned as a witness.

He added, "To my question as to what kind of 'witness' could be in handcuffs and a balaclava, they replied: 'That is not our competence.' After I refused to participate in these investigative actions, a coercive medical measure was applied to me, during which one injection was administered, followed by another intravenous injection at hospital. After that, I was taken back for questioning, during which I felt unwell, and was then transported to a clinic to preserve my life, where I was given an IV drip. Until my return to Ukraine, I remained in hospital."

The incident involving a forced injection had previously been reported unofficially.

Kuznietsov said his colleagues were also subjected to psychological pressure and beatings.

On the way back to Ukraine, he was effectively taken to the border twice. The first time, the vehicle was turned around, and they were told that "Ukraine refuses to accept you". A second attempt 40 minutes later ended with their return to Ukraine.

During the processing of documents at the border, Hungarian officials provided no explanations; the available interpretation was in Russian, and since the cash-in-transit officers remained in handcuffs, the documents were "simply placed in their pockets".

Quote from Kuznietsov: "What they wanted from the team is completely unclear, because if they had questions regarding the legality of the cargo, the answer would have taken five minutes – the cargo had been cleared in accordance with European regulations and was in the customs authorities' database. I had the original documents… However, this was of no interest to anyone."

Background:

• The armoured vehicles used by the cash-in-transit team were handed over to Oschadbank, with some equipment found to be damaged. The valuables seized from them remain in Hungary.
• A representative of Oschadbank has filed a complaint with the Hungarian Prosecutor General's Office regarding the case of the cash-in-transit officers.

For more details on this unprecedented incident in Hungary, see the article Orbán's Ukrainian gamble: seized cash, the Kremlin connection and Europe's silence

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