Hearing at the Regional Court of Appeal of Szeged
(Preliminary Information)

The so-called case of „Death-Truck of Parndorf” is going to begin on 6th June 2019

Dear Editorial Staff,

The Regional Court of Appeal of Szeged has appointed the concrete days of the second instance hearing in the criminal case (so-called case of „Death-Truck of Parndorf”) that started because of homicide and other criminal actions against L. S. and his 13 fellow defendants.

The second instance hearing is going to begin on 6th June 2019 (Thursday).

Registration is required!

The further days of the second instance hearing as follows: 7th June (Friday), 13th June (Thursday), 14th June (Friday). According to the preliminary plan the final judgement is going to be published on 20th June (Thursday).

The hearing will be opened for the public.

With respect to the great public interest connected to this criminal case, for those editorial representatives, who would like to participate at the hearing, the preliminary registration is required.

The registration can be sent by e-mail to the following e-mail address: batyiz@szegeditb.birosag.hu.

The registration contains the following matters:
•    naming the interested editorial staff (number of participants),
•    how many cameras will be used?
•    the participation of the editorial staff related to which hearing day [6th June (Thursday), 7th June (Friday), 13th June (Thursday), 14th June (Friday)]?

The deadline for registration: 23rd May 2019 14:00.

The antecedents of the case

Austrian police officers in the morning of the day of 27th August 2015 kept a check on a cooling truck, which was parked alone in a lay-by of the A4 motorway near Parndorf, Austria. 71 deadly bodies (including the bodies of 8 women and 4 children) were found in the boot of the truck. According to the opinion of the medical experts most of the victims had been died in the truck in the territory of Hungary in the morning of the day before, when the victims had been transported from Southern Hungary (nearby the area of Mórahalom) to Austria. Previously, the vehicle had been bought in Lajosmizse, Hungary.

When the man-smugglers realised the deadly consequences of their transport, escaped and left the truck on the motorway alone.

The first instance proceeding was held by the County Court of Kecskemét. The trial began on 21st June 2017, and the appealable judgement was published on 14th June 2018.

The 1st defendant, who is an Afghan citizen, and the 2nd-3rd-4th defendants, who are Bulgarians were found guilty because of the felony of homicide and continuous man-smuggling. Also, the 5th-14th defendants were found guilty because of the felony of continuous man-smuggling.

The first instance court found, that the criminal offences were committed in a criminal organization.

The 1st-2nd-3rd-4th defendants were sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment. The 5th-14th defendants were sentenced between 3 to 12 years of imprisonment.

The 7th and 12nd defendant are still a fugitive from justice, whereas the 14th defendant has been arrested in France during the second instance proceeding.

According to the judgement of the first instance court, the criminal organization was functioned between the period of February and August of 2015. From June the organised man-smuggling became widespread. The illegal cross-borders were crushed into small vehicles, and the perpetrators transported them in cruel and inhuman conditions.

The defendants and their defending counsels in their legal remedies have filed for acquittal and secondly for the mitigation of the punishment. The public prosecutor have appealed against all of the defendants to the aggravation of the imprisonment.