Category: News

Our intervention at the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee Working Group on Frontex Scrutiny on push-backs and the Agency’s human rights record in Hungary.

On 15 April 2021, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in a final judgment that the Hungarian State violated Zsombor Csúcs’ human rights when the Prosecutor’s Office did not investigate his abuse by the … Read more

Press release of the Civilisation Coalition

Ten months after the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Hungarian government finally moves to repeal the Lex NGO. This is an important development for affected civil society organisations (CSOs) as it ends 4 years of unnecessary and damaging stigmatisation. 

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) submitted a third party intervention to the European Court of Human Rights on 8 April 2021 in Mahamud v. the Netherlands, App. no. 64534/19 that concerns a family reunification of … Read more

Our new information update focuses on how Hungarian asylum provisions on exclusion from international protection are still not compliant with EU law, despite CJEU Ahmed judgement (C‑369/17). In summary, the infringement of EU law centers … Read more

The European Court of Human Rights established in 2019 that Hungary failed to discharge their procedural obligation under Article 3 to assess the risks of ill-treatment before removing the two asylum-seeking applicants to Serbia. The … Read more

In a judgment published this week, the Constitutional Court of Hungary ruled that the provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure that allows for unlimited pre-trial detention pending a first instance judgment is unconstitutional. The … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee contributed both in 2020 and this year to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report, in collaboration with other Hungarian NGOs. The annual Rule of Law Report is an important … Read more

Eight Hungarian NGOs submitted a joint contribution in the stakeholder consultation launched by the European Commission for its second annual Rule of Law Report. The Commission’s Rule of Law Report pertaining to 2019 identified substantial … Read more

It is expected that the Hungarian Government will extend the officially declared state of danger due to the Covid-19 pandemic for a period lasting 22 February 2021 until 22 May 2021. Exceptional rules will continue to apply to residence permit validity.

The European Court of Human Rights established in 2015 that overcrowding in penitentiaries in Hungary constitutes a structural problem. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe examines the Varga and Others v. Hungary … Read more

Our new information update focuses on Government Decree 570/2020. (XII. 9.) which removes the possibility to obtain suspensive effect for appeals lodged against expulsions that are issued on the basis of of a violation of … Read more

Today the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgement in the case of an Iranian-Afghan family who were held in the transit zone for the entire duration of their asylum procedure in 2017 and released only upon being granted international protection.

Today, Advocate General Rantos delivered his opinion in an infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission against Hungary in July 2018. The Advocate General held that the criminalisation of assistance to asylum-seekers violates the law … Read more

The Ombudsperson’s status as a national human rights institution will be reviewed in June 2021. In its shadow report submitted ahead of the review, the HHC warns that the new Ombudsperson, who took office in September 2019, has failed to demonstrate adequate efforts in addressing all human rights issues, and has failed to speak out in a manner that promotes and protects all human rights, similar to his predecessor.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee received the European Union Civil Solidarity Prize on Monday morning in recognition of its activities during the coronavirus pandemic. The prize was awarded to the Hungarian human rights organisation by the … Read more

This submission has been prepared by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee in response to the call for input of the Special Rapporteur, to inform his report to the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights … Read more

Drawing on exchanges between the HHC, various stakeholders of Frontex and its Executive Director, our new information note shows how the Agency turned a blind eye towards well documented systemic human rights violations at Hungary’s … Read more

Six months ago, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that Hungary’s NGO law violates the EU law. To date, however, no steps have been taken by Hungary to comply with the judgment. In the face of this, NGOs recommend 3 steps for the European Commission.

17 December 2020 (Budapest) – The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) today announced its judgment, closing infringement proceedings initiated in December 2015. The European Commission initiated the procedure because of concerns regarding … Read more