The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Jan. 7 against Antal Rogan, a senior Hungarian government official and close associate of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Rogan is the first high-ranking Hungarian official sanctioned by the U.S. under the Magnitsky Act, which targets individuals involved in serious human rights abuses and corruption.
Rogan, who serves as minister for the prime minister’s Cabinet Office, oversees key government agencies, including the National Communications Office, the Digital Government Agency, and the Hungarian Tourism Agency.
The U.S. Treasury Department accused Rogan of orchestrating schemes to control strategic sectors of Hungary's economy and diverting proceeds to himself and Fidesz party loyalists.
"Minister Rogan has played a central role in enabling a system in Hungary that has benefitted himself and his party at the expense of the Hungarian people," the statement said.
The move comes amid growing criticism of Orban's government domestically and internationally.
Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar called for early elections on Jan. 1, citing Orban’s declining popularity and widespread allegations of corruption. He accused Orban of turning Hungary into "the EU's poorest, most corrupt nation."
The Magnitsky Act, enacted in 2012, allows the U.S. to impose visa bans and asset freezes on individuals linked to corruption or human rights violations. To date, the U.S. has sanctioned 687 individuals under the Act.
Francis Farrell
(Updated: )
