Vice-president of the Kovászna/Covasna County Council Róbert Grüman has been fined 3,000 RON (~€635) by the Hargita/Harghita County gendarmerie on the grounds that the peaceful demonstration of the Szeklers in front of the Úz Valley cemetery wasn’t announced 48 hours in advance, as specified by law.
❌Ma 3000 lejes büntetésben részesített a Hargita Megyei Csendőrség, azzal az indokkal, hogy június 6-án, az úzvölgyi…
Posted by Grüman Róbert on Wednesday, June 12, 2019
As previously reported, on June 6, 2019 some 1,000 ethnic Hungarians, in silent prayer, formed a human chain to prevent the arriving Romanian crowd, many of whom brandished Romanian flags, from entering the graveyard. Despite a heavy police presence – at least several dozen officers were on site, attempting to calm the Romanians – a group eventually broke through the police cordon, crashing through the fence and tearing down the gate from the inside.
Mr. Grüman was part of the human chain on that day. After receiving the notice, he shared it on his Facebook page, adding that he will appeal against the fine and ask the court to invalidate it. Speaking with MTI he said that from the noticed he received it’s only clear that the penalty is based on the grounds that the gendarmerie wasn’t officially notified 48 hours before the demonstration.
When asked whether the fine has something to do with the Kovászna/Covasna County Council’s extraordinary work session set for the Úz Valley, he said it is possible, but he isn’t familiar with the gendarmerie’s point of view, because he wasn’t questioned, and the notice received doesn’t specify that. The gendarmerie hasn’t published any data on the progress made in identifying the vandals who broke into the graveyard and tore down the gate.
In reaction to the news, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szíjjártó said that “the real culprits ought to be punished instead”.
Title image: the notice received by Mr. Grüman. Source: Grüman’s Facebook page.
