A Budapest court on Thursday ordered Viktor Orbán's younger brother held in pre-trial custody for one month on suspicion of human smuggling. The ruling followed his detention by Hungarian police earlier in the week. An investigating judge at the Central District Court of Buda granted the request of Hungary's prosecution service, citing the risk that the suspect could flee or interfere with witnesses.

Under Hungarian law, a suspect taken into police detention must be released or brought before a judge within 72 hours. Prosecutors argued that the seriousness of the alleged offences and the suspect's extensive business and political connections justified formal arrest rather than criminal supervision or house arrest. His defence lawyer said the decision would be appealed to the Budapest-Capital Regional Court.

The case is the most politically charged so far in an anti-corruption and accountability drive launched by Prime Minister Péter Magyar's government after it ended Mr Orbán's 16 years in power. Investigators did publicly detail the alleged smuggling scheme on 9 November 2026: the National Asset Protection and Recovery Office and police said four suspects were detained and allegedly helped more than 100 Vietnamese nationals obtain Hungarian residence permits or visas in 2024, most of whom intended to travel on to Western Europe, and one suspect is alleged to have engaged in influence peddling. A spokesperson for the prosecution service said the investigation involved several suspects and was continuing.

Fidesz, Mr Orbán's party, condemned the ruling as a show of political vengeance against the former prime minister's family. Fidesz spokespeople said in a statement that the government was using the courts to humiliate its predecessor. Mr Magyar has repeatedly said that no one in Hungary would stand above the law, and his ministers said on Thursday that the judiciary had acted independently.

The detention is likely to be watched closely in Brussels, where the European Commission has long pressed Budapest over judicial independence and the misuse of public funds. A European Commission spokesperson said the institution did not comment on individual criminal cases. The arrest order can be extended by a court for up to several months while the investigation proceeds.