BUDAPEST-KOBANYA PRISON HOUSES 3,500 POLITICAL PRISONERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600340848-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2011
• Sequence Number: 848
• Publication Date: September 26, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/17: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600340848-3
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COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
CLASSIFICATION
CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
Political - Internments, arreets
Weekly newspaper
New York
13 May - 22 Jul 1950
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IMFORMATIOM AFFSC71:0 THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MIAMIN OF ESPIONAGE ACT SD
O. E IC.. 11 AND SE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION ON THE RITDLATION
C1"TI"TS
ST TLAW. I REPRODUCTION Of THIS FORM ISI PROM SITIO.'S PRO-
Riportok Es Hirek Magyarorszagrol.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST. 2 Sep 1950
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
BUDAPEST-KOBANYA PRISON HOUSES
3,500 POLITICAL PRISONERS
HOUSES "DISTINGUISHED" PRISONERS - Riportok Es Hirek Magyarorszagrol, New York,
13 May 50
The Budapest-Kobanya prison was originally built for 700 prisoners, but
now houses over 3,500 persons, mostly political prisoners. Six or seven prison-
ers are crowded together in cells barely large enough for two.
The prison is composed of two so-called left and right "stars." Each star
contains three wings and has four floors, The death cell is located in wing one
of the right star, The second floor of this building houses prisoners sentenced
for economic crimes until they are transferred to Vac or Sopron-Kohida. The
third and fourth floors are reserved for the "enemies of democracy."
Wing three of the right star has been set aside for "serious" political
criminals. This part of the prison is called the "ghetto" by both prisoners
and guards because of the extremely harsh treatment given to the inmates. The
well-known protagonists of the ill-famed conspiracy trials are also held in this
wing. These include Balint Homan, Istvan Antal, and Antal Kunder, former min-
isters; Ferenc Kiss; Gen Lajos'Dalnoki-Veres; Prince Paul Eszterhazy, and
Prof Justin Baranyai,s utstanding figures in the Mindszenty trial, etc.
There are an unusually large number of.F,riests, at least 40, among the in-
mat s of the "ghetto". They include MikloW Asztalos and an old teacher-priest
wh6"igured in the student conspiracy of Vac. Prof Simon Papp, an oil man of
world renown and former director of the American-Hungarian Oil Company, occupies
a cell on the second floor of wing two in the left star. His cell was formerly
a warehouse.
Until recently, Andras Zakar, former secretary to Cardinal Mindszenty, was
.held on the main floor of the same star. He was not permitted to join the other
prisoners when they were taken out for a walk, but was led out alone. His meals
were brought to his cell by a special guard to prevent him from sending out mes-
sages through the prisoners detailed to mess duty.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL.
STATE NAW NSRB DISTRIBUTION
ARMY AIR XI FB I
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CONFIDENTIAL
The poli~ical prisoners previously had the privilege of receiving one 5-
kilogram parcel3per week. In May 1949, orders were issued that they could re-
ceive only one 2-kilogram parcel a week and that they could not send out their
underwear for laundering. At the same time, the political prisoners were for-
bidden to take walks with the other prisoners.
The main floor of wing two of the right star houses the prisoners con-
demned to death, Some of them have been awaiting execution 4 or' 5 months. In
the meantime, they have to listen every morning to the executions, which are
usually carried out in the courtyard at 0600 hours.
It was known among the prisoners that Cardinal Mindszenty was held in the
prison hospital until 6 April 1949. He was guarded by the State Security Police,
because the prison guards were not trusted. Not even the warden was allowed to
talk to the special Security Police guards.
POLITICAL PRISONERS TORTURED AT "CLINIC" -- New York Riportok Es Hirek Magyarors-
zagrol, 22 Jul 50
In the Szent Janos Hospital of Budapest, a special wing with 80 beds has
been set up by Dr Ernest Szinetar, director of the hospital's psychopathic de-
partment. Functionaries who are to be disposed of quietly are broughtinto Dr
Szinetar's clinic. The political police also send him suspects who must leave
the hospital in such a state that no credence can be given to their testimony
or whose nervous systems are to be destroyed.
Dr Szinetar's favorite method is putting patients to sleep for a week by a
injection and electroshock
series of injections, followed by skopolamin patients
therapy -- a treatment with which any desired result can be achieved.
No wounds are inflicted in Dr Szinetar's clinic, but victims of the treat-
ment come out as dummies and idiots devoid of any personality.
ARREST INTERNAL DISEASE CLINIC HEAD -- New York Riportok Es Hirek Magyarors-
zagrol, 1 Jul 50
It is reported from Budapest that Prof Imre Haynal, director of the clinic
for internal diseases on Szentkiralyi Street, has been arrested. Details of the
arrest are not known,
Coiar1UE1 air ..
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/17: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600340848-3