On April 22, 2025, the Debrecen District Court delivered a verdict in a fast-track procedure regarding a 22-year-old man who attacked an investigator in Debrecen following his interrogation. At the hearing, held with the assistance of an interpreter, the Egyptian defendant admitted to his actions and expressed remorse.
The District Court found the Egyptian defendant guilty of the felony of violence against a public official. In line with the prosecution’s recommendation, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, suspended for a probation period of two years.
According to the judgment, the Egyptian student, who is pursuing university studies in Hungary, was brought to the Debrecen Police Headquarters on February 23, 2025, on suspicion of committing a crime. On February 24, 2025, at 12:23 a.m., the defendant was interrogated in an office while handcuffed, in the presence of an Arabic interpreter and a substitute defense lawyer. The entrance door to the small office was left open during the procedure.
While the minutes of the interrogation were being recorded, the 22-year-old defendant suddenly stood up, moved toward the door, slammed it shut aggressively, and struck the interpreter with his cuffed hands. Following this, the investigator grabbed the defendant’s hands. In response, the defendant grabbed the senior sergeant’s upper clothing and attempted to push him backward. The officer resisted and pushed the man back against the wall of the office, during which the room’s lights went off.
The sound of the struggle drew three other officers into the office, who restrained the defendant and took him to the ground. During this process, the Egyptian student continued to resist by grabbing the interrogating officer’s sweater, pulling him toward himself, flailing his arms, and kicking with his legs, so he had to be carried out to the hallway.
While being handcuffed, the defendant tried to push the senior sergeant off of him. His resistance could only be subdued with the use of pepper spray, although even then, he continued attempting to push the officer away with his knees and thighs. As a result of the defendant’s actions, the senior sergeant suffered multiple bruises that healed within eight days. However, the officer did not file a private complaint against the defendant for the misdemeanor of minor bodily harm.
The verdict of the Debrecen District Court was accepted by the prosecution, the defendant, and his defense attorney, and thus it has become legally binding.
