Hungary opens communist-era secret police files identifying informants

Hungary has made public thousands of secret police files from its communist era, revealing names of informants who spied on citizens during the country's one-party rule, BBC reported.

The release was announced by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who described it as a step towards healing societal trauma caused by 45 years of communist rule, according to BBC.

The files were published on November 4, a symbolic date marking the Soviet crackdown on the 1956 Hungarian revolution, as noted by BBC.

The archives are now accessible through an online database containing about 60,000 names, with a second batch of files expected by February, DW English reported.

Critics have expressed concerns that the files are incomplete and that the release may cause division and distress among families, according to BBC and DW English.

Prime Minister Magyar emphasized the importance of treating the publication with dignity and humanity, acknowledging that many families will confront difficult information, DW English stated.