Mother of Hungarian woman linked to Israeli terror attack in Lebanon says daughter is under Secret Service protection, agency denies involvement
Sofia (Quds News Network)- Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, a Hungarian woman whose shell company has been linked to explosive pagers used in deadly attacks in Lebanon, is currently under protection following unspecified alleged threats. Bársony-Arcidiacono, the CEO of Budapest-based BAC Consulting, was advised by Hungarian secret services to avoid speaking to the media due to these threats, her mother, Beatrix Bársony-Arcidiacono, told The Associated Press (AP) on Friday.
The attacks, which targeted pagers and walkie-talkies, killed at least 37 people and injured more than 3,000, including children. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement despite reports by Axios citing Israeli officials confirming Israel’s responsibility.
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono has not made any public appearances since the attacks earlier this week. Her mother explained that her daughter is “in a safe place protected by the Hungarian secret services” after her company was linked to the devices used in the simultaneous pager explosions.
Despite the mother’s statement, Hungary’s Special Service for National Security denied that Bársony-Arcidiacono qualifies for formal protection, though they confirmed that she had been interviewed several times as part of an ongoing investigation. The agency claimed that the pagers never passed through Hungarian territory, and no Hungarian company or experts were involved in their production.
“The results of the investigation so far have made it clear that the so-called pagers have never been on Hungarian territory, and that no Hungarian company or Hungarian expert was involved in their manufacture or modification,” the agency told AP via email.
BAC Consulting, Bársony-Arcidiacono’s shell company, has been linked to the manufacture of the explosive devices by Taiwanese trademark holder Gold Apollo. However, Beatrix Bársony-Arcidiacono insisted that her daughter “was not involved in any way” in the plot to weaponize the pagers, asserting that she acted only as a broker.
BAC Consulting’s website has been offline since Wednesday. The Hungarian government has reinforced its stance that the devices were neither produced nor modified in Hungary.
The Israeli attacks in Lebanon have heightened tensions in the region. The explosions targeted civilians, causing significant casualties. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation, and Lebanon is calling for an international investigation into the incident.
