![]() ![]() Today’s verdict – which Ahmed will appeal - reflects the dangerous confluence of Hungary’s draconian counter-terrorism laws and its merciless crackdown on refugees and migrants. That is the basic explanation of how Ahmed H ended up on a leash in a courtroom far from his home. Under Hungary’s extremely vague counter-terrorism laws, the court held that Ahmed’s actions constituted “complicity in an act of terror”. Ahmed also used a megaphone to call for calm between the two sides. In the ensuing melee, some people, including Ahmed, threw stones at the police. ![]() Many were injured and required medical care. When clashes broke out between asylum-seekers trying to cross into Hungary and the Hungarian police, the police used tear gas and water cannon against them. In September 2015, Ahmed and his family found themselves trapped at the Serbia-Hungary border after police erected a razor wire fence at the crossing. It was an act of selflessness which went horribly wrong. ![]() In August 2015, Ahmed left his home in Cyprus to help his family cross into the European Union. I just wanted to help them get to Germany.” “They faced death many times along the journey. In his closing statement Ahmed, a resident of Cyprus and father of two young daughters, had explained to the court how his elderly parents and six other family members were escaping from the war in Syria. The man - who can only be identified as Ahmed H – had just been convicted on trumped up terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 7 years in prison. His hands and feet were shackled and his demeanour was calm and determined. This afternoon I watched as masked officers led a tall, thin man out of a Hungarian courtroom on a leash. Ahmed’s case shows how “counter terrorism” measures are being used as a pretext for targeting Muslims ![]() * Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. ![]()
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