Lucrezia Ciotti An arrest that has shaken Hungarian politics and brought the former prime minister's family back into the spotlight. Áron Orbán, Viktor Orbán 's younger brother , has been arrested on charges of human trafficking as part of an investigation into an alleged illegal scheme to facilitate the issuance of visas and residence permits to foreign citizens.
Viktor Orbán's brother arrested on human trafficking charges.
Áron Orbán , the younger brother of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán , has been named in a judicial investigation into alleged human trafficking . The news, initially reported by the news portal Kontroll, was later confirmed by current Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who posted the arrest on social media.
The authorities' operation involved Budapest and two other localities in Pest County, where several people were arrested in connection with two criminal proceedings.
The operations were carried out by investigators from the National Investigative Police (NNI) together with agents from the National Office for the Recovery and Protection of Assets (NVVH), an anti-corruption body established by the new government.
Numerous house searches were also carried out during the operation. " According to press reports, Viktor Orbán's younger brother, Áron Orbán, has been detained on charges of human trafficking ," Magyar wrote, noting that the competent authorities' investigations are still ongoing. Further information on the alleged crimes and investigative developments were expected later this afternoon.
The investigation into visas for foreigners and the response of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
At the center of the investigations is an alleged scheme for obtaining work visas and residence permits , especially for citizens from Vietnam and Nepal . The first journalistic reports on the business dealings of Áron Orbán and his associates emerged as early as May 2025. According to the Telex portal , some companies linked to the former prime minister's brother could have facilitated access to Hungarian visas , also valid for the Schengen area, by enrolling foreign citizens in short, two-day courses at the University of Pécs.
An audio recording also emerged in which Áron Orbán discussed visa applications blocked by the authorities . Some intermediaries, citing alleged connections with influential officials, allegedly promised to expedite administrative procedures in exchange for money. In a related case, the Central Investigative Prosecutor's Office had already questioned four people: two suspects had been held in pre-trial detention for a month after receiving €17 in advance from a businessman, with the promise of facilitating the issuance of work permits.
The affair provoked a reaction from Viktor Orbán, who rejected accusations of political manipulation and called the investigation an attempt to directly target him . " The showdown is a distraction ," he declared, arguing that the Magyar government was using the investigation to divert attention from other political issues, including the handling of the archives of the communist-era secret police. The former prime minister then harshly attacked his successor, accusing him of using methods reminiscent of the former secret police to eliminate opponents and consolidate a one-party system. His conclusion was clear: " I am the target; my brother is merely a tool ."