OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 50, 11 March 1996

SLOVAK ROUNDUP. The Slovak cabinet on 7 March approved a draft law on
the protection of the republic, Sme reported two days later. Organizers
of public rallies "aimed at subverting the constitutional system,
territorial integrity, or defense capability of the republic or [at]
destroying its independence" can be sentenced to between six months and
three years in prison. Those who "damage the interests of the republic"
by spreading "false" information can be jailed for up to two years.
Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement deputy Gyula Bardos told Reuters
that the bill's approval is evidence that "the radicals are holding the
upper hand in the government." In other news, former Prime Minister
Jozef Moravcik on 9 March was re-elected chairman of the opposition
Democratic Union. -- Sharon Fisher

HUNGARIAN JEWS PROTEST ACQUITTAL OF NEO-NAZIS. Almost 2,000 Jews on 10
March protested a municipal court's acquittal of two Hungarian neo-Nazi
leaders six days earlier, AFP reported. Albert Szabo and Istvan Gyorkos
admitted to organizing lectures for skinheads in which they denied that
6 million Jews were killed during World War II. They also praised
Hungarian pro-Nazi leaders and anti-Semitic figures. The judge ruled
that "such views can be expressed as part of the freedom of speech."
Prime Minister Gyula Horn on 6 March said he was shocked by their
acquittal but added that the court ruling must be respected. He also
said that he hoped the parliament will soon pass legislation to allow
courts to take more powerful action against extremists. Some 600,000
Hungarian Jews were killed in or on the way to Nazi concentration camps
during World War II. Only 80,000 live in Hungary today. -- Sharon Fisher

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave