Although Hungarian law guarantees state-funded legal aid for asylum seekers in need, significant barriers limit access, particularly for people in detention. Our new brief examines the gap between legal entitlement and effective access and sets out the changes needed to make legal aid meaningful in practice.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has submitted its opinion on the draft 17th Amendment to the Fundamental Law. The organisation objects to the government allowing just 5 days for public consultation on matters of this magnitude, and to its failure to justify in sufficient detail the considerations underlying the proposed amendments. The Helsinki Committee considers the removal of certain constitutional office-holders to be acceptable for the purpose of restoring the rule of law, but takes issue on several points with the manner and justification of those removals. It also identifies as problematic the fact that the draft contains changes that are not necessary for restoring the rule of law, while at the same time failing to repeal certain provisions that seriously curtail fundamental rights.
In his victory speech following the April parliamentary elections, the future prime minister called on the high public office holders appointed and entrenched over the past sixteen years to resign. As those concerned have not yet resigned, the new government is expected to replace them through legislative measures, within the framework of the rule of law, as promised by the prime minister. How can this be achieved? In our background paper, we have compiled the international standards that are applicable in similar situations and that the Hungarian government must also adhere to.
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.
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.
Hungary continues to violate the European Convention on Human Rights by maintaining rules that allow life imprisonment without any real prospect of release. In a new submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee highlights the continuing deficiencies of Hungary’s life imprisonment rules and calls for meaningful reforms to comply with judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Non-execution of domestic court judgments by state authorities in freedom of information cases is a serious rule of law problem in Hungary, which also violates the European Convention on Human Rights. In a joint submission to the Council of Europe, Hungarian civil society organisations highlight the systemic causes of non-compliance with such judgments and propose recommendations to ensure effective access to public interest data.
Nearly ten years after the European Court of Human Rights’ landmark judgment in the Baka v. Hungary case, Hungary still has not implemented key safeguards for judicial independence and judges’ freedom of expression. In a new submission to the Council of Europe, we highlight ongoing deficiencies, retaliation against outspoken judges, and concerns about the latest reform plans.
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
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves the review of the human rights record of all 192 UN Member States once every four-and-half year. It was created by the UN General … Read more
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
2025 report on pushbacks in Europe
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees the fundamental rights to be enjoyed by every child. The Hungarian Child Rights Coalition prepares an alternative report on the implementation of the Convention, which draws on the professional experience of its member organizations and covers developments over the past five years. This year, as a new member of the Coalition, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee is also contributing to the preparation of the report.
Beginning on 5 March 2026, investigative reporting produced by journalists with a proven track record of uncovering confidential information and subsequent institutional discussions raised questions about possible Russian interference in Hungary’s parliamentary elections scheduled for … Read more
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
The HHC’s shadow reports and its suggestions for questions to be included in the List of Issues for the UN Human Rights Committee