Ukrainians were handcuffed for 28 hours. Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides details of delay of collection agents in Hungary

Seven Ukrainian citizens in Hungary were held in handcuffs for 28 hours, transported blindfolded all the time, and all their personal belongings, including cell phones, were taken away. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Monday, March 9.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the details of the detention of 7 employees and 2 vehicles of the collection service of the State Savings Bank of Ukraine (Oschadbank) became known only after the people returned to Ukraine. The conditions and treatment of the Ukrainians indicate a gross violation by Hungary of its international legal obligations, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the ministry emphasized.

"Although the detainees had the status of witnesses, they were handcuffed for 28 hours. They were transported all the time blindfolded. Personal belongings, including mobile phones, were confiscated from the Ukrainian citizens and they were deprived of the opportunity to inform their relatives, the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary or their employer about their detention and whereabouts. Most of the personal belongings seized during the detention have not been returned," the statement said.

In addition, one of the Ukrainians is a person with a disability and did not receive medical care until he lost consciousness. The diabetic patient was forcibly injected with a drug, after which his blood sugar level rose sharply and hypertension began, and only then was he taken to the hospital. Hungarian law enforcement officers exerted psychological and physical pressure on the detainees.

Other violations:

• the Ukrainians were spoken to in russian;
• the detainees were not allowed to receive legal services;
• the consul was not allowed to visit the Ukrainians.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on March 6, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Hungary had captured 7 employees of Oschadbank who were traveling with money on a collection flight from Austria.

On March 6, the National Police of Ukraine launched criminal proceedings over the abduction of Ukrainian citizens and a company car of JSC Oschadbank in Hungary.

On the night of March 7, seven employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank were returned to Ukraine.