The Hungarian government accuses a journalist of espionage. He is accused of having intercepted the conversations of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has filed a criminal complaint for espionage against journalist Szabolcs Panyi, suspected of having provided a foreign secret service with the phone number of Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. This would have led to the interception of conversations, including those with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Gergely Gulyás, Orbán's chief of staff, stated that the journalist's actions cannot be considered investigative journalism, but rather espionage. Although he did not specify the country involved, Szijjártó suggested it could be Ukraine. Panyi, known for his investigations into Russian influence in Hungary, denies the allegations and claims that the government is using authoritarian tactics to discredit him. The complaint is based on a recently broadcast secret recording in which Panyi discusses verifying Szijjártó's phone number. International reactions have highlighted tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, and Szijjártó acknowledged that he discussed with Lavrov in the context of European diplomacy.