Hungary's second-largest bookstore Lira said on Friday it plans to take legal action after it received a hefty government fine for the sale of an LGBT-themed British webcomic and graphic novel for minors without closed wrapping.
Books that feature LGBTQ+ characters are seen wrapped in foil in a Libri bookstore in Budapest, Hungary, July 11, 2023. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
A Budapest government office on Thursday imposed a fine of 12 million forints on Lira, saying it broke the law by selling British author Alice Oseman's "Heartstopper", among other books for minors, without wrapping them in plastic foil. "As this is a resolution about a fine it cannot be appealed, it can only be attacked - in what way, our lawyers will assess," he said. "We will use all legal means at our disposal."
He said some publishers had already voluntarily wrapped their books, trying to comply, but that it was not clear whether it was enough to place books affected by the law on a shelf for literature aimed for adults.
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