Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics wrote a letter to senior Bolivian officials, asking them to ensure that Hungarian national Előd Tóásó can stand trial and mount a free defence. A court hearing was scheduled to take place in La Paz on Monday, 2 October but it was postponed to 9 October and the venue was changed to Tarija.

Minister Navracsics turned to his Bolivian counterpart Cecilia Ayllon and Minister of the Presidency Carlos Romero Bonifaz, asking the authorities to observe Bolivian law, which requires that people held in pre-trial detention be freed three years after their arrest if their case has not come to trial.

The letter notes that Tóásó has been detained on 16 April, 2009, more than three years ago. Further, according to Bolivian law, the legal procedure must not extend beyond 13 months.

The minister also noted that a United Nations human rights group had formed the opinion that Tóásó's basic rights had been transgressed. The UN group called on the Bolivian authorities to set him free and ensure that he can stand trial and mount a free defence.

"I would like to emphasise that Hungary condemns all kinds of terrorist activity and respects Bolivia's sovereign right to pursue a criminal procedure against foreign nationals who have committed a crime on its territory," Minister Navracsics wrote. At the same time, he said it was unacceptable that the rights of a Hungarian citizen be violated in any way. He should be prosecuted within the timeframe set down by the law, without any kind of political influence being exerted, and in a free and fair trial according to the international legal norms that Bolivia has undertaken.

On 16 April, 2009, Bolivia's special forces cracked down on what was believed to be a terrorist unit in Santa Cruz. Bolivian-Hungarian Eduardo Rozsa-Flores, ethnic Hungarian from Romania Arpad Magyarosi and Irish Michael Dwyer died in the attack. Tóásó was arrested and has been kept in detention, however charges were officially only raised two years ago and the case has been stalled ever since. Tóásó told the Spanish new agency that he was no guilty and the trial was purposely "protracted for political reasons."

(MTI)