Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon, the CEO of a Hungarian consulting firm allegedly linked to the recent pager blasts in Lebanon and Syria, is reportedly under the protection of the Hungarian secret services, her mother revealed to The Associated Press (AP) on Friday. The attacks, which Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have attributed to Israel, have left at least 37 people dead and more than 3,000 injured. However, Israel has not officially confirmed its involvement in the deadly explosions.
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon: Under secret service protection
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon, who is listed as the CEO of BAC Consulting, a Budapest-based company, is said to be facing threats following the attacks.
According to her mother, Beatrix Bársony-Arcidiacono, Cristiana “is currently in a safe place protected by the Hungarian secret services.” Beatrix made this statement during a phone interview from Sicily with AP, adding that her daughter had been advised by the secret services to refrain from speaking to the media.
Despite AP’s attempts to reach Hungary’s national security authorities for comment, no response has been provided, and the claims made by Bársony-Arcidiacono have not been independently verified by the news agency.
The role of BAC consulting and the blasts
BAC Consulting, the company headed by Cristiana, has come under scrutiny after the Taiwanese trademark holder of the pagers involved in the blasts, Gold Apollo, stated that it had authorized BAC Consulting to use its name on the devices. While Gold Apollo admitted that it permitted the use of its brand for the pagers, it asserted that the design and manufacturing were solely the responsibility of BAC Consulting.
Both the Hungarian government and Cristiana’s mother, however, have distanced BAC Consulting from the production of the devices. A Hungarian government spokesperson on Wednesday emphasized that the pagers had never been in Hungary. Echoing this, Bársony-Arcidiacono stated, “She is not involved in any way, she was just a broker. The items did not pass through Budapest. … They were not produced in Hungary.” Reports suggest that BAC Consulting has no physical offices, merely using a shared ground floor in a building as its official address, raising questions about the firm’s operational scope.
International and domestic reactions
The blasts in Lebanon and Syria have generated intense speculation about potential Israeli involvement. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have pointed fingers at Israel, though the Israeli government has yet to publicly confirm or deny these allegations. The attacks have heightened tensions in the region, leaving thousands injured and the international community demanding answers. Hungarian authorities remain tight-lipped on the matter, as national security services have not issued any formal statements about Bársony-Arcidiacon or her company’s alleged role in the blasts.
Who is Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon?
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon, born in Sicily, has led a life of academia and international work experience before incorporating BAC Consulting in May 2022. She studied at the University of Catania before pursuing a Ph.D. at University College London (UCL), where she specialized in physics.
Her LinkedIn profile notes that she has worked for a number of international organizations, including venture capital firms, and lists her as a fluent speaker of English, French, Italian, and Hungarian. Her former colleague at UCL, Hungarian physicist Ákos Kövér, confirmed to AP that they had co-authored several papers during her time there. “
At the time, we also published some joint articles. I am not aware of her other activities,” Kövér stated. Cristiana also completed an internship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) between 2008 and 2009 and co-authored a paper for a UNESCO conference on the management of underground water resources.
While questions surrounding the responsibility for the deadly blasts in Lebanon and Syria remain, the involvement of BAC Consulting and its CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacon, continues to attract significant attention. With Cristiana now under the protection of the Hungarian secret services, the situation underscores the complex web of international tensions and corporate intrigue surrounding the recent tragedy. As investigations continue, the public remains in search of answers, while Cristiana’s future—and that of her company—remains uncertain.