Ukraine Information for refugees from Ukraine
Информация для ищущих убежища из Украины. Інформація для біженців із України.
Operation Starve and Strangle
Hungary’s proposed “Transparency” Law threatens core European democratic values and attacks independent civil society and media organisations
Relevant Helsinki Files
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Turkish family man won big in Strasbourg after he was denied defense and was expelled from the country
Despite having a Hungarian wife and daughter and living lawfully in Hungary for 31 years, a Turkish father was expelled from the country. He was not even informed of the reasons why his presence was considered a security risk. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has awarded him just satisfaction amounting to approximately six million forints, ruling that the Hungarian state expelled him without ensuring a fair trial and adequate judicial remedy. Orhan Demirci was represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
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AIDA report Hungary
The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) contains information on asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and international protection based on data from 24 countries, including Hungary. The report on Hungary for 2024 issued by the Hungarian Helsinki … Read more
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Hungary: Banning LGBTI march for “resembling Budapest Pride” a deeply disturbing development
In a stark display of authoritarian overreach and discriminatory intent, the Budapest police have banned this year’s LGBTQI march scheduled for June 1 – marking the first known use of Hungary’s newly expanded “anti-Pride” law to block a peaceful demonstration. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International Hungary, Háttér Society, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Rainbow Mission Foundation, and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, condemn the move as a politically motivated violation of the fundamental right to peaceful assembly, calling out the government’s hollow denials of Pride bans as falsehoods.
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Operation Starve and Strangle: companies, independent media and civil society in a chokehold
A new proposal for a law would allow the Hungarian government to blacklist a broad range of for-profit and non-profit entities, severely limiting their ability to operate. Hungarian civil society organisations explain the details and how the law would silence watchdogs and shield government abuse.
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Operation Starve and Strangle: Hungary’s proposed “Transparency” Law threatens core European democratic values and attacks independent civil society and media organisations
A new legislative proposal marks a dark turn in Hungary’s erosion of democratic norms. Disguised as a transparency measure to prevent sovereignty threats, the Bill on the Transparency of Public Life aims to starve and strangle civil society, independent media and any legal entity that the government decides to target.
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Hate crime: Far-right attacker sentenced to prison
The court convicted a man for violence against a member of the community, after he, along with his accomplices attacked antifascist youths, motivated by political hatred. It is notable that the prosecution had previously refused to press charges against the perpetrator, who has now been sentenced to one year suspended prison. The victims could only achieve a conviction through a substitute private prosecution, with the help of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
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Hungary disregards CoE interim resolution on life sentences
The Hungarian government is disregarding an interim resolution by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which exhorted the government to align legislation on life sentences with the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
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Right to attend funeral arbitrarily denied
The Strasbourg Court has ruled in favour of a former prisoner in a case against Hungary over its arbitrary refusal to allow him to attend the funerals of his mother and brother. This was despite the fact that he had almost no time left to serve on his sentence and that his behaviour had been exemplary. The applicant was represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
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Control over all: how the government is undermining your liberties
Amendments aimed at “banning” the Budapest Pride event infringe a number of fundamental rights, such as the right to the protection of personal data, the freedom of peaceful assembly and the principle of non-discrimination. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee will provide help to protect your rights.
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CPT stresses urgent need to address ill-treatment by police and prison staff in Hungary
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) carried out a periodic visit to Hungary in May 2023. The recently published report on the visit highlights several issues, also raised by the HHC, which undermine humane detention in Hungary. In particular, the Committee identified ill-treatment by police and prison staff as a critical issue that remains unresolved in the country.
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Legislating fear – excluding and threatening dissenters on a constitutional level
Recent legislative proposals threaten with the “suspension” of Hungarian citizenship, violate freedom of assembly, and effectively ban Pride. These changes represent a significant escalation in the Government’s efforts to suppress dissent and weaken human rights protection, and elevate exclusion and the threatening of dissenters to a constitutional level.
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Court of Justice of the European Union: the gender of trans people in national registers must be corrected
According to the judgment rendered by the CJEU, the GDPR obliges Hungarian authorities to correct personal data on gender identity where it is inaccurate, i.e. in all cases where the social reality and gender identity … Read more
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Persecuted in Iran, imprisoned in Hungary, found justice in Strasbourg
Hungarian authorities violated an Iranian asylum seeker’s human rights by detaining him under inhumane and degrading conditions for 13 months in the Tompa transit zone, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s client was awarded €4,500 in just satisfaction. With this, the human rights NGO has now won its 110th case in Strasbourg.
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Human Rights Defenders of the Future – handbook
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has published a handbook on the involvement of young people and teachers in human rights work.
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Three hellishly difficult years for Ukraine and people fleeing the war
Ukraine has been defending itself against the invasion of Putin’s Russia for three years. Currently, tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine live in Hungary. While the government keeps restricting its support to them, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee has so far provided information and legal assistance to over 14,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Interview with Anikó Bakonyi, Refugee Programme Director at the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
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Submissions to UN Special Rapporteurs in the context of elections in Hungary in 2024
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression are working on reports on elections for the Human Rights Council in June … Read more
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The last piece of the puzzle? An assessment of the NHRI’s performance
How the Ombudsperson’s weak independence and concentrated mandates weaken fundamental rights protection – Human rights defenders assess the performance of Hungary’s national human rights institution
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Discriminatory restriction of national minorities’ voting rights remain unresolved
Hungary continues to deny equal voting rights to members of national minorities, despite the European Court of Human Rights’ final ruling in the Bakirdzi and E.C. v. Hungary case in April 2023.
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HHC addresses European Parliament’s LIBE Committee on Hungary’s backsliding on democracy and the rule of law
The European Parliament’s LIBE Committee invited the HHC to an exchange of views on Hungary’s backsliding on democracy and the rule of law, on 27 January 2025.
Watch the full exchange of views on the European Parliament’s website here.
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Hungarian CSOs contribute to the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report
For the sixth year in a row, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee is contributing to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report in coordination with other Hungarian human rights and anti-corruption CSOs in the framework of the stakeholder consultation launched by the European Commission