Hungarian man who murdered compatriot with sword in Canada released in Hungary

A Hungarian national who received a life sentence in Canada for a 2011 sword murder was released in Hungary after his sentence expired under local law.

Hungarian man who murdered compatriot with sword in Canada released in Hungary

A Hungarian man who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Canada for killing a fellow countryman with a sword in 2011 has been released on the streets of Hungary despite his overseas conviction – reported RTL Híradó, also carried by HVG.hu.

The man escaped from a Canadian penitentiary in the spring of 2024 and boarded a flight to Budapest. Hungarian police were already waiting at the airport and took him into custody. He was subsequently held in a domestic prison.

Because Hungarian legislation allows a maximum of fifteen years for homicide, and this period had already elapsed, the man was set free last week. However, Canadian authorities initiated new proceedings against him over his escape, which the Hungarian prosecution is now handling.

The prosecutor's office requested pre-trial detention, but the court ruled that house arrest and an electronic monitoring device would suffice. The prosecution has appealed, arguing that the individual has a violent nature and his previous escape demonstrates he could flee again.

Source: HVG