Hungary will publish a significant part of the documents from the former security services of the communist regime, more than three decades after the regime change. A new online platform will allow the search for information about tens of thousands of people who appear in the secret service archives, including officers, informants, collaborators, or individuals targeted for recruitment.
The Budapest Parliament passed a law in September significantly expanding access to the documents of former security structures. According to the authorities, the first materials will be published on October 22, 2026, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, notes The Independent.
The new digital platform will allow public access to documents that until now could mainly be consulted by researchers and individuals directly involved or their relatives.
According to the Associated Press, the database could include between 50,000 and 60,000 names associated with the activities of former security services. Users will be able to search for information using several criteria, including the person’s name, date and place of birth, mother’s name, alias, or document data.
Not all the information in the files will, however, be published without modifications. Data considered extremely sensitive, such as those related to health status, dependencies, or sexual orientation, will be protected or anonymized under the conditions provided by law.
The authorities expect a very large number of accesses and have even considered using external servers to avoid blocking the archives’ infrastructure.
The first stage will include the so-called “six cards” and the information stored on the media known as “magnetic tapes”. These contain data derived from operational registers and records related to individuals within the security services network.
A second stage is scheduled for February 25, 2027, when the remaining documents from the so-called B files will be published. These may contain much more detailed information about the individuals recruited or those whom the services tried to obtain information from, including documents regarding recruitment and evaluations made by officers.
Details, HERE