Hungary has opened previously restricted secret police files from the socialist era, giving citizens online access to records that include names linked to the regime’s informant network. The release fulfils a campaign promise by Prime Minister Péter Magyar after decades of debate over the documents.
People can search the files for the names of ancestors, 70 years after the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian revolution of 1956. The records have been contentious because people named in them were not necessarily informants; some were only considered persons of interest by the regime.
In a public address on Wednesday, Magyar urged citizens to approach the long-delayed publication with “dignity and humanity,” warning that many families may encounter difficult information about their personal history.
Sources: Politico Europe.