Ukrainian authorities to Telex: It's not true that there’s no investigation into death of József Sebestyén

"The information published in several foreign media outlets claiming that there's no investigation into the death of József Sebestyén, a person of Hungarian ethnicity, is false and manipulative," the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) wrote in a statement sent to Telex following Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó's claim that Ukrainian authorities had refused to investigate the death of the Hungarian man from Transcarpathia who died shortly after being mobilized into the Ukrainian army. According to the DBR, the investigation is still ongoing on charges of abuse of authority by a military official.

"A preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Ukrainian citizen has established that (József Sebestyén) was called up for military service in Mukachevo on June 14, 2025. The conscript appeared before the medical commission of the Uzhhorod RTCK SZK (the body responsible for mobilization) on the same day, where he was found fit for military service and made no complaints about his health," they wrote.

According to the statement, Sebestyén left his place of service on June 18 without permission and the next day he checked himself into the psychiatric ward in Berehove, complaining of feeling unwell, headaches, and pain consistent with a concussion. From there, he was transferred to the district hospital, where no serious injuries were identified. Sebestyén was then transferred from the hospital to the psychiatric ward on June 24, after which "the police received notification on 7 July that József Sebestyén (Joszif Sebestyen) had died at the health care facility on 6 July." They write that the investigation found no injuries that would indicate that Sebestyén died a violent death. The statement concluded that "the investigation is still ongoing."

However, the document leaves many questions unanswered and contradicts what Sebestyén's friends and family claim to know about his days in hospital. It is unclear why he was transferred from the hospital to the psychiatric ward, where, according to Telex's information, he was transported while unconscious. Although he later regained consciousness in the psychiatric ward, he did not speak again until his death.

At the same time, the fact that the investigation that is underway is looking into the possible abuse of authority by a military official indicates that the authorities are not ruling out the possibility that Sebestyén did not receive timely medical assistance to address the complaints he made after being mobilized.

We sent questions to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Magyar Nemzet reported that József Sebestyén's family claimed that the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation was not launching an investigation into the death of the Hungarian man from Transcarpathia.

It has been weeks since the death of Sebestyén, who was part of the Hungarian ethnic minority in Transcarpathia, and the circumstances leading up to his death still remain unclear. Mandiner and other Hungarian pro-government papers reported that Sebestyén was beaten so badly after being conscripted that he succumbed to his injuries. Two videos of him have also been released: in one, he can be seen on all fours, and in the other, he is in severe pain, asking paramedics for help, who simply tell him to pull himself together and stand up. Telex's journalists traveled to Transcarpathia to speak to locals about the tragedy.

Ukrainian official statements, however, differ significantly from the claims made by the man's family and acquaintances, which is further complicated by the fact that in a post about the case, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at one point shared a photo on social media which was not of Sebestyén. Russia expert András Rácz has repeatedly emphasized that, in addition to the government taking the appropriate steps, the situation should be handled with extreme calm, as this would increase the chances of a professional investigation. However, speaking this week, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Gergely Gulyás still said that the fact that the Ukrainian authorities had not launched an investigation points to such treatment being a daily occurrence in Ukraine.