Hankó Balázs's appeal was rejected, he will remain behind bars until February

Hankó Balázs and former state secretary Varga-Bajusz Veronika will spend Christmas and New Year in custody after a court upheld their detention. They are accused of embezzling over 17.3 billion HUF from the National Cultural Fund, allegedly misusing funds for political purposes. Hankó denies the charges, claiming political motivation behind the prosecution. The court extended their detention to prevent evidence tampering and ensure their presence during the investigation.