Brother of Hungary's Orban held in people-smuggling probe

A court in Hungary on Wednesday ordered the brother of the country's former leader Viktor Orban to be held in custody for a month as part of an investigation into trafficking migrants.

A court in Budapest said in a statement that Aron Orban and another suspect had been ordered to be held over the case. They have the right to appeal against the court's ruling.

Investigators arrested Orban and three others on Monday.

It was a joint operation by police and a unit set up by Prime Minister Peter Magyar to investigate corruption during Viktor Orban's 16 years in power.

Pro-EU conservative Magyar shared a press report of the arrests on Monday.

Police say they suspect the men held of having helped more than a hundred Vietnamese get visas in 2024, having charged them a "recruitment commission".

On Monday, former premier Orban called the detention a "dirty game", accusing the government of trying to eliminate its political opponents.

"I am the target; my brother is merely a tool," he wrote on Facebook.

But the court considering the matter decided there was enough evidence to warrant an investigation.

Prosecutors had wanted all four men detained, arguing there was a risk they might try to flee the country or obstruct the investigation.

The court accepted that Aron Orban and the other man held in custody might obstruct the investigation, notably by witness tampering.

But it granted bail to one of the suspects and the fourth man was freed.