Category: Our reports and analyses

The HHC’s shadow reports and its suggestions for questions to be included in the List of Issues for the UN Human Rights Committee

In April 2026, the Hungarian parliamentary elections will be a pivotal moment for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Hungary and for the entire European Union. There is a serious likelihood that they will be marred, yet again, by grave violations of both domestic and international standards for democratic elections.

As an electoral body, the Hungarian National Election Commission is unable to level the playing field, which favours the governing parties.

Study on Innovative Practices of Civil Society Regarding the EU Rule of Law Toolbox

Since the last general election on 3 April 2022, the Hungarian Parliament has passed several amendments to the legal framework relating to elections.

In December 2022, European Union institutions suspended and tied to conditions Hungary’s access to EU funds under various procedures due to severe breaches of the rule of law and human rights. Ahead of the upcoming … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has prepared a summary report on Hungarian research conducted as part of the EU-funded international PRinCE (Procedural Rights in Central Europe) project. During the study, we summarised previous research results, analysed … Read more

A new handbook is published to support civil society in building strong communities of practice and the first ‘Caring to Include’ toolkit can be accessed that is developed to strengthen the well-being of staff and volunteers who support refugees and people seeking protection.

Persistent systemic challenges continue to affect Hungary’s compliance with OSCE commitments related to democratic elections. Numerous long-standing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed. The most pressing issues cumulatively contribute to an electoral environment that questions the overall fairness of the process.

Háttér Society, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) have jointly submitted input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association for her 2026 thematic report … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), together with the Support Network for Detainees and Their Families (FECSKE), has contributed to the call for input by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) and the Support Network for Detainees and Their Families (FECSKE) have submitted input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief for her forthcoming thematic report on … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), together with the Support Network for Detainees and Their Families (FECSKE), has contributed to the call for input by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has submitted its response to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders for her forthcoming and final report to the 61st session of the Human Rights Council. The call for … Read more

Breaches of judges’ freedom of expression have been a long-standing problem in Hungary. The individual instances may not be as blatant as in the case of Poland, however, the issue is persistent. For a long … Read more

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee participated at the 2025 OSCE Human Dimension Conference. This 11-day conference was dedicated to discussions on the condition of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE area. The conference provided … Read more

Two new resources developed under the Horizon Europe–funded RED-SPINEL project provide practical guidance for civil society and legal professionals on how to anticipate, detect, and respond to rule of law backsliding and fundamental rights violations across Europe.

The Article 7(1) TEU procedure against Hungary was launched by the European Parliament in 2018 to assess whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the Union’s fundamental values. Since then, the … Read more

Seven Hungarian civil society organisations submitted a third-party intervention to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and Others v. Georgia (Application no. 31069/24). The case was filed on behalf of 140 complainants following the adoption of Georgia’s Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence which infringes the rights of independent civil society organisations and private individuals.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee participated in a European research project examining the rights of LGBTIQ detainees in the European Union. The project assessed the situation of LGBTIQ detainees, identified challenges, gaps and promising practices and raised … Read more