Hungary opens communist-era secret police informant files

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 07:12 · Archive

Hungary has released thousands of communist-era secret police records naming informants who spied on citizens during four decades of one-party rule ending in 1989.

Hungary has released thousands of communist-era secret police records, making around 60,000 names publicly available in a searchable online database. The archives identify informants who worked for the state security apparatus during four decades of one-party rule from 1949 to 1989. A second batch of files is expected by February. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the release on Wednesday at the state security archives, saying the country was 'finally fulfilling what was once one of the key promises of the 1990 regime change — a promise that was later denied and lied about'.

The files reveal the names of those who spied on citizens during the repressive communist era. However, Politico reports that the names in the files were not necessarily actual informants, but sometimes just 'persons of interest' to the regime. The informants themselves were often coerced into reporting on colleagues, friends and even relatives.

Magyar urged citizens to approach the disclosure thoughtfully, saying 'many families will now face difficult information often related to a deceased member of their family'. He added that 'it is impossible to process a trauma without discussion and asking questions'. Culture Minister Zoltán Tarr said he hoped the publishing would 'enable a long-term reconciliation by revealing the secrets of the past'.

The release comes after more than three decades of debate over how to handle the sensitive files. Hungary's first post-Communist prime minister Józef Antall rejected opening them, as did Viktor Orbán's long-ruling Fidesz party, which blocked efforts over 30 times since 2010 according to Hungarian news platform Telex. Orbán said in a Facebook statement that he had refused cooperation when approached during his military service and was instead 'under constant surveillance' as a target of the state party's secret investigations.

A partial release of state security files did occur in the 1990s, when parliament passed the so-called 'agents law' in 1994, requiring members of government, parliament and certain public servants to undergo background checks to determine whether they had worked for the former state security services.

How it is being reported

• Hungary opens communist-era informer filesDuring the 1949-89 one-party rule that repressed dissent, authorities employed an extensive network of informants to monitor public sentiment.The Japan Times · 5 Nov, 02:22
• 36 years later: Hungary opens Communist-era secret service filesDecades after the end of Soviet rule, Hungary is releasing all its secret service files. The disclosure is sparking fresh debate about informants, guilt and responsibility.DW News · 4 Nov, 19:30
• Hungary releases secret police files from communist eraThe files reveal the names of the socialist regime's informant network, 70 years after the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian revolution of 1956.Politico Europe · 4 Nov, 18:43
• Hungary opens communist-era secret police files identifying informantsThe archives name thousands of former informants who spied on citizens for the state security services during decades of one-party rule. The prime minister said "many families will now face difficult information."DW News · 4 Nov, 12:36

In this story: Hungary · Péter Magyar · Viktor Orbán · Fidesz · Józef Antall · Zoltán Tarr

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