Pride Freedom prevails
Prosecution drops charges against organisers of Budapest and Pécs Pride marches
Relevant Helsinki Files
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Flash report on the Article 7 procedure before the 16 June 2026 GAC
The Article 7 procedure concerning Hungary, which has been ongoing since 2018, focuses on serious breaches of the EU’s fundamental values, covering several rule of law and human rights issues not addressed by other EU procedures. The new government of Hungary has made several welcome commitments to address the systemic problems that have developed over the past decade and a half in the areas covered by the procedure, but addressing these properly is a longer-term process.
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Freedom prevails: prosecution drops charges against organisers of Budapest and Pécs Pride marches
The prosecution has dropped all charges against the organisers of Budapest and Pécs Pride marches, ending a legal battle that began after the government’s 2025 crackdown on LGBTQI-related public demonstrations. The decision marks a significant setback for attempts to restrict Pride events and confirms that the exercise of fundamental rights cannot be criminalised, while underscoring the need for broader legal reforms to bring Hungarian law back into line with European human rights standards.
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Hungary’s Democratic Transition Faces a Structural Obstacle: 33 Senior Officials Entrenched for Years to Come
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has updated its Cemented website to document how long Fidesz-appointed officeholders can remain in their posts.
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AIDA Country Report on Hungary – 2025 Update
The AIDA report presents a comprehensive overview of the asylum system in Hungary in 2025.
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Hungarian Citizen Election Report 2026
The 2026 Citizen Election Report is a joint initiative of leading Hungarian civil society organisations active in election monitoring: 20k – Free Vote, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, K-Monitor, Mérték Media Monitor, and Political Capital. It aims to provide an authentic Hungarian perspective on the 2026 parliamentary elections, drawing on analyses by experts with decades of experience, as well as firsthand accounts of hundreds of ballot counters, election observers, and voters.
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PICUM report: Criminalisation of solidarity with migrants in the EU
PICUM’s report on the criminalization of solidarity in the EU in 2025.
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The moment of opportunity and responsibility
Hungary has voted for change. Now comes the hard work of restoring the rule of law. We, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, look forward to playing our part.
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Selected Issues for Election Observers
Ahead of the April 12 elections, our latest briefing note is for everyone monitoring or closely following the Hungarian elections. We focus on selected aspects of the electoral environment that could be particularly relevant on … Read more
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Selected Readings on the 2026 Hungarian Parliamentary Elections
Background materials for election observation missions and delegations
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Flash Report Ahead of the 2026 Hungarian Parliamentary Elections
The 2026 Hungarian parliamentary elections are taking place in a highly polarised political environment, marked by entrenched systemic distortions in electoral competition. Recent developments confirm that the primary risks to electoral integrity stem not from … Read more
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Beaten Back at Europe’s Borders
2025 report on pushbacks in Europe
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Human Rights Defenders of the Future – Apply to our spring human rights course!
Do you want to:
– get to know how democratic power functions at different levels?
– learn about social participation in Hungary and become an active citizen?
– be a part of a diverse, young team of refugees, migrants and Hungarians?
– learn and have fun with interactive educational methods?If yes, apply to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s Human Rights Course by 29 March!
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Hungarian Helsinki Committee turns to Kúria to protect Transcarpathian refugee families facing homelessness
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee is asking Hungary’s highest court (Kúria) to review court rulings that rejected lawsuits filed on behalf of refugee families from Transcarpathia (Zakarpattia, western Ukraine) seeking continued access to state-funded accommodation. According to the human rights organisation, the courts’ interpretation of the law is flawed and inconsistent with the protections guaranteed under the Temporary Protection Directive.
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Information for Iranian Nationals in Hungary
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee prepared an information leaflet for Iranian nationals currently in Hungary.
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Same Old, Same Old: Current State of Danger Rules Continue to Undermine the Rule of Law in Hungary
Recent developments in Hungary once again highlight how the “state of danger” is a tool to concentrate powers in the hands of the executive. Our one-pager explains the deficient framework and how it is abused in practice.
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Where assembly is a crime: charges brought against the organizer of Pécs Pride
This morning, the Pécs District Prosecutor’s Office informed Géza Buzás-Hábel, the organizer of last Fall’s Pécs Pride, that charges had been brought against him for organizing Pécs Pride. The prosecutor’s office has turned to the Pécs District Court for violation of the freedom of association and assembly, which could impose up to one year of imprisonment.
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Hungarian CSOs contribute to the European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report
For the seventh 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.
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Systemic failures persist in tackling police ill-treatment in Hungary
On 21 January 2026, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) submitted a new Rule 9(2) communication to the Committee of Ministers concerning the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgments in the Gubacsi v. … Read more
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Civil society warns of continued discrimination in minority voting rights ahead of 2026 elections
In a joint submission to the Council of Europe, HCLU and HHC highlight the Hungarian government’s continued failure to reform the national minority voting system in spite of a European Court of Human Rights judgment, leaving most minorities without a real chance of parliamentary representation before the 2026 elections.
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Prison overcrowding and inhumane detention conditions in Hungary remain unresolved
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) has submitted a new communication to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe concerning the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ pilot judgment in Varga and Others v. Hungary and the related István Gábor Kovács v. Hungary case group. This group of cases concerns inhuman and/or degrading treatment arising from poor conditions of detention, primarily resulting from structural prison overcrowding, the lack of effective preventive and compensatory remedies, and other detention-related violations.