# Hungary: a ruling-party mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from a campaign event

Published 2026-09-23. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 3 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: It is not established in the sources reviewed whether the criminal complaint led to any charge against Mayor Vecsei.

A mayor from Hungary's ruling Fidesz party physically removed two Telex journalists from a campaign forum in a community center, covering their camera lens and pushing them out after they declined to leave what he called a closed event.[1][2][3]

- Country: [Hungary](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/hu) (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)
- Where: Hungary
- Level of government: Municipal
- Tactic: Access bans
- Stage: Punish (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/access_ban#stage-punish)
- Ladder note: A government official used physical force to remove and bar named reporters from an event, rather than only denying a credential or building pass.
- Head of government at the time: [Viktor Orban](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/viktor-orban)
- Issue of the day: Telex, an independent Hungarian outlet, was covering a campaign forum ahead of Hungary's April 2026 parliamentary election when the mayor hosting the event moved to stop the reporting.
- Outcome: Ongoing, 10 March 2026. Telex filed a criminal complaint the same period as the removal; the Committee to Protect Journalists reports no resolution of that complaint.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

On March 10, 2026, Telex correspondent Judit Presinszky and camera operator Nora Siteri went to a campaign forum for the ruling Fidesz party in a community center in Csakbereny, central Hungary. Mayor Laszlo Vecsei, who was hosting the event, grabbed Siteri's camera to cover the lens and then pushed the journalists, grabbing one of them by the arm, before they were removed from the building. A member of a local civilian patrol group then prevented the pair from re-entering. Vecsei said he acted after the journalists refused to leave what he described as a closed, non-public campaign event, though Telex said it was covering a public function open to constituents. Telex said it had filed a criminal complaint over the removal. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the episode marked a new low for a Hungarian press corps that already faces years of exclusion from government events under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.[1][2][3]

Telex has filed a criminal complaint over the removal; no outcome of that complaint has been reported.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Mayor Vecsei said he removed the journalists "after they refused to leave what he described as a closed, non-public campaign event."[1][2][3]

## What changed for reporting

Telex's reporters were prevented from covering the campaign forum in person and were physically blocked from returning to the building, and the outlet turned to a criminal complaint rather than continued on-site reporting.[1]

## Timeline

- 2026-03-10: Hungary: a ruling-party mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from a campaign event

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Laszlo Vecsei](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/laszlo-vecsei) | enforced | Mayor of Csakbereny, Hungary |
| [Viktor Orban](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/viktor-orban) | other | Prime Minister of Hungary (through 2026) |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Telex](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/telex) | outlet | affected |
| [Judit Presinszky](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/judit-presinszky) | journalist, Telex | affected |
| [Nora Siteri](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/nora-siteri) | journalist, Telex | affected |

## Sources

1. Hungary mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from ruling party campaign event. https://cpj.org/2026/03/hungary-mayor-forcibly-removes-telex-reporters-from-ruling-party-campaign-event/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-03-16).
2. Journalist groups condemn Hungary over reporters' removal from campaign event. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/journalist-groups-condemn-hungary-over-reporters-removal-campaign-event-2026-03-17/ (Reuters, 2026-03-17).
3. We filed a complaint after our colleagues were forcibly removed from the Deputy PM's campaign event. https://telex.hu/english/2026/03/12/we-filed-a-complaint-after-our-colleagues-were-forcibly-removed-from-the-deputy-pm-s-campaign-event (Telex, 2026-03-12).

## Claims cited

[1] Telex responded to the removal by filing a criminal complaint rather than continuing to report from the event. Quote: "said they have filed a criminal complaint" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-03-16. Hungary mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from ruling party campaign event. https://cpj.org/2026/03/hungary-mayor-forcibly-removes-telex-reporters-from-ruling-party-campaign-event/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/495, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] A CPJ representative described the removal of the two Telex journalists as a low point for press freedom in Hungary. Quote: "Telex's Judit Presinszky and Nora Siteri being forcibly removed while reporting on a public campaign event marks a new low" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-03-16. Hungary mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from ruling party campaign event. https://cpj.org/2026/03/hungary-mayor-forcibly-removes-telex-reporters-from-ruling-party-campaign-event/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/557, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] The mayor covered the camera lens and pushed the journalists, grabbing one by the arm, according to CPJ's account of the incident. Quote: "grabbed Siteri's camera to cover the lens" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-03-16. Hungary mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from ruling party campaign event. https://cpj.org/2026/03/hungary-mayor-forcibly-removes-telex-reporters-from-ruling-party-campaign-event/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/558, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-hungary-mayor-removes-telex-reporters. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.