World News for Students of English

06-07-2016 07:00

A Hungarian court has sentenced 10 migrants up to three years in jail for attempting to illegally cross the border into Serbia during riots last year. It’s the first case of its kind to come to trial under a law passed days before the incident occurred.

Nine of the men were sentenced to nearly a year in jail, however, they were released at the judge’s discretion due to time already served. One of the group was kept behind bars after receiving a three-year sentence for issuing instructions to the rioters through a loudspeaker.

Of those convicted, three were disabled one of whom was rolled across the border in a wheelbarrow by a helper. On hearing his sentence would be quashed, Fahdawy Chazy said no man in his condition could have committed the crime he was accused of.

After attending the trial, a United Nations spokesman expressed concern that a country would criminalise people fleeing war zones, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken a tough line against migration, saying the EU risks losing other migration-weary members that may follow Britain to exit unless it does the same.

Difficult words: attempt (try), discretion (the freedom to decide something in a situation), due to (because of), quash (stop), flee (run away from a place), –weary (tired of).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com