‘Beaten with iron bars…’: Sister of ‘forcefully conscripted’ Hungarian man lashes out at Ukraine

A shocking cross-border controversy has erupted after the death of 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian Jozsef Sebestyen, who died just weeks after being conscripted into the Ukrainian army. His sister, Marta Sebestyen, speaking at an anti-war event in Nyíregyháza, called his death an “unfathomable tragedy” and accused Ukraine’s Territorial Recruitment Centre in Berehove of brutally beating her brother after he allegedly refused to sign mobilisation papers. According to relatives, Sebestyen claimed he had been assaulted with iron bars and threatened with immediate deployment to the frontline. He died on July 8 in a psychiatric hospital—less than a month after being taken into service. The Ukrainian government has firmly denied all allegations, saying medical reports found no physical injuries, and rejecting claims of forced labour or abuse. Watch the video to find out more.