Hungary’s national flag was hoisted with full military honours and lowered to half-mast in front of Parliament to mark the anniversary of the 1848-49 war of independence and the martyrs of Arad, at an event attended by Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and army chief Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi on Thursday. The ceremony was also attended by interior ministry state secretary Bence Rétvári. The flag remained at half-mast throughout the day in tribute to the martyrs on the national day of mourning. Commemorations continued at the Fiumei Road cemetery with a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of Count Lajos Batthyány, Hungary’s first prime minister. The government declared October 6 Hungary’s national day of mourning in 2001, in commemoration of the 13 martyrs executed in Arad following the crushing of the revolution. Batthyány, also commemorated today, was executed in Pest.