Stefan Lendvai accused of publishing a violently anti-Semitic article, was sentenced to one day’s imprisonment and was immediately released.
In asking for his acquittal, his counsel admitted that Lendvai had trespassed against the law, but “not against the interests of Hungary”.
The court in imposing the day’s sentence said that it was true that the Jews are a peril to the country but that Lendvai had gone a bit too far in saying that they destroyed the trade and the integrity of the country at the same time.
While the anti-Semitic Lendavi thus escaped with virtually no punishment, the Liberal Journalist Geza Feleky, who was accused by Magistrate Zilahi of attacking him for inciting school children against the Jews, was sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.