Category: News

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee welcomes today’s ruling by the CJEU, which is an important victory for the rule of law and EU citizens.

In April 2022, the Hungarian parliamentary elections will be among the most important stress tests for democracy and the rule of law within the European Union. There is a considerable likelihood that they will – … Read more

The empowerment course for refugees and migrants starts in March 2022

As of today, 1 February 2022, the time limit for bringing proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg will be reduced to 4 months instead of 6 months. 

Nine Hungarian NGOs submitted a joint contribution in the stakeholder consultation launched by the European Commission for its third annual Rule of Law Report. The Commission’s previous Rule of Law Report (pertaining to 2020) identified … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has a new logo now. The renewed logo builds on the previous one, but the new version is friendlier, cleaner, and more direct. With the help of the De-Form Design Studio, the organisation has revamped its entire brand, from letterhead to merchandising products.

In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Croatia illegally expelled an Afghan family seeking asylum with their many children. The victim on whom the judgment in the case was based was a six-year-old girl, Madina, who had died. Her tragic death is a disturbing example of a ruthless migration policy similar to the practice in Hungary. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee intervened in the Strasbourg proceedings in order to promote the cause of asylum-seeking victims.

According to the current state of affairs, one year after the elections – not including the Prime Minister – 31 of the 32 most important leaders of the state apparatus will be the same person as they are now. Even in the case of an opposition victory. In fact, having a two-third majority in Parliament, Fidesz can get even more of our public dignitaries cemented into their seats anytime until the elections in April, for an even longer period. With the Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s useful infographics, we can “look into the future”.

Ahead of the Hungarian parliamentary elections set for 3 April, twenty Hungarian civil society organisations are urging the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in a joint letter to deploy a full-scale election observation mission (EOM) to Hungary, with a high number of short-term observers on election day. 

As another sign of the country’s rule of law backsliding, Hungary has been failing to implement judgments of the Strasbourg and Luxembourg courts, and Hungarian authorities are repeatedly disregarding the judgments of the country’s own domestic courts as well. A new research paper by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee shows just how deep this phenomenon runs.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee released its documentary film By the Power of the Force on its YouTube channel. The subject of the film is the largely unpunished mass police violence of 2006 and its aftermath. The film by civil rights activists shows that the domestic judiciary still fails to prevent, detect and punish police violence to this day.

Human Rights Activist and Amateur Painter
A Conversation Murad Sharifi

‘I try to paint the inspirations that affect me.’
A Conversation with Radwa Alnazer

Peace, Hope and Joy
A Conversation with Abouzar Soltani

Our new information update identifies five main points where Hungarian asylum legislation and practice regarding exclusion from international protection on national security grounds contradict EU law and jurisprudence. In summary: 1. The Hungarian law does … Read more

The story of Gáborné Nagy and her escape to Hungary from the Russian secret services was presented in detail in an article published by Eszter Neuberger in February 2021 on 444.hu. Now we talked to the client of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee about how her life and that of her family was affected by the fact that after 20 years the Hungarian authorities see her stay in the country as a risk to national security.

Following the Polish model, the Government wanted to use the Constitutional Court as a means of evading a Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgment that it did not like. However, in its … Read more

Civil society organisations sent a letter ahead of the General Affairs Council on 14 December when EU affairs ministers will hear from the European Commission on the latest developments and take stock of the situation regarding respect for EU values in Hungary and Poland as part of the Article 7 procedure.

Wednesday, 16 December 2021,16:00-18:00 (CET) – online In December 2021, the European Commission launched a public consultation for the 2022 edition of the Rule of Law Report. The Report monitors significant developments, both positive and … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee is working to support the social inclusion of refugees and migrants through their participation in a ten-session course.