LAST week, another agonising step was taken by my constituent Michael Turner as he once again returned to Hungary for a preliminary court hearing.
Michael, you will recall, along with his partner, is accused of fraud - which he denies - after their marketing company collapsed in 2005.
They fought a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in the High Court, lost, and were locked up in a former KGB prison in Budapest for 115 days, without charge, in 2009.
The EAW was introduced to catch terrorists and serious criminals, hardly fitting for this case.
Since Michael’s release, which was never explained by the Hungarian authorities, his case has dragged on.
Michael and his family, from Corfe Castle, continue to ride an emotional and ever more expensive rollercoaster.
There is no legal aid for cases in foreign courts, and Hungarian legal aid for EU citizens is non-existent.
This is in stark contrast to the legal funding available for foreign citizens here.
On this occasion, Michael and his father, Mark, were advised to avoid the press, only to discover what seemed like the entire Hungarian media in the courtroom.
Michael was cross examined for over three hours, in Hungarian and using a translator, with television cameras filming constantly.
A Foreign Office representative and Michael’s MEP, Lord Dartmouth, attended, making it clear that the case was being monitored.
Mark said that witness after witness produced evidence that they had not been defrauded.
He believes there’d be no case to answer in this country and it would be thrown out.
Instead, Michael has to return to Budapest on 7 June, at more expense, to keep fighting his case when the court reconvenes.
I aim to be there to support him.
The damage this lengthy process has had on Michael is incalculable.
In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty.
In Hungary, it seems that anything goes so long as a conviction is secured.