The Absurdity Within
Access to territory and the asylum procedure continues to be a serious challenge for those arriving to the Serbian-Hungarian border and in need of protection. However, it is not only this aspect of the Hungarian … Read more
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New Chief Judge: Potential Transmission Belt of the Executive
The new chief judge in Hungary: a potential transmission belt of the executive within the judiciary The election of the new President of the Kúria (the Supreme Court of Hungary) is the next stage in … Read more
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Firm steps are needed to tackle police violence
Hungary has to change its laws and practice in many respects in order to prevent, investigate and sanction police ill-treatment more effectively, shows a decision published today by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
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The looming shadow of the Baka v. Hungary case – the Government is still failing to guarantee the freedom of expression of judges
The Hungarian Government has failed to address in a satisfactory manner the concerns around the right to freedom of expression of Hungarian judges. Therefore, in its decision published today, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has not closed the supervision of the judgment delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in the Baka v. Hungary case, and requested the Hungarian authorities to submit an updated action plan.
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Substantial rule of law problems in Hungary confirmed by the Commission’s report
The European Commission’s Rule of Law Report has identified substantial problems severely threatening the rule of law in Hungary in all four areas examined by the report. Civil society organisations have raised attention to several … Read more
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Note on the growing use of national security arguments in expulsion cases
The HHC has recently received an increasing number of complaints from Hungarian family members whose spouses have been suddenly expelled and eventually detained by the NDGAP (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing). Several third-country national detainees … Read more
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Information update on overcrowding and prison conditions
Information update by the HHC on the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the Varga and Others v. Hungary case
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The Hungarian assembly law needs stronger guarantees
The Hungarian state failed to remedy the legislative deficiencies that have led to the breach of the right to peaceful assembly on several occasions in the past. Although a new assembly law was passed, sufficient … Read more
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Courageous civilian defies scaremongering accusation during COVID-19
In the early morning hours of 13 May 2020 in the town of Gyula, located in the southeast corner of Hungary, the police raided the home of Mr János Csóka-Szűcs, a local NGO activist.
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Rule of law developments between May-July 2020
In its Information Note, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee provides an overview of certain rule of law developments in Hungary between May and July 2020, covering concerns pertaining to the justice system and institutional issues related to checks and balances.
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Assessment of the Transitional Act
Amendments introduced as of 18 June by the so-called Transitional Act provide the Government excessive powers that can be applied with a reference to an epidemic, with significantly weakened constitutional safeguards. Other provisions for example on asylum, the powers of the military forces, and data protection also give rise to concerns, NGOs say.
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Hungary de facto removes itself from the Common European Asylum System
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on 14 May 2020 that Hungary’s practice of automatically placing the quasi-totality of asylum-seekers in closed land-border transit zones during the entire asylum procedure constitutes … Read more
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The Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the Transit Zone
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention cannot accept that an individual who either must agree to remain in the transit zone or lose the possibility of lodging an asylum application could be described as freely consenting to stay in the transit zone.
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Emergence of a broad consensus on transit zone detention
This information update shows how the broad consensus by international organisations that qualifies placement in the transit zones of Hungary as deprivation of liberty has emerged. The update compiles a list of key judgments, adopted … Read more
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Chilling effect on the freedom of expression on Hungarian judges remains
A communication by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and Amnesty International shows that due to the legal and institutional structures created by the governing majority, the chilling on the freedom of expression of judges effect is encoded in the Hungarian court system, and Hungary has failed to adopt guarantees to avoid retaliation against judges voicing criticism in relation to the independence of the judiciary.
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Third Party Intervention at the ECtHR in A.A. v. Poland, app. no. 47888/19
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) and Women with Women Together Against Violence (NANE) submitted a third party intervention to the European Court of Human Rights on 20 July 2020 in A. A. v. Poland, Application … Read more
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M. K. v. Hungary
Appl. no. 46783/14
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Legislation adopted through the pandemic widens the scope of state control over private companies
Our briefing note provides an overview of the new legal framework for assuming state control over private companies, created step-by-step by under the state of danger.
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Psychosocial dynamics conducive to torture and ill-treatment
The HHC provided input for the upcoming report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture on psychosocial dynamics conducive to torture and ill-treatment.
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World Refugee Day – 1 out of 40,000: Karox
Today is World Refugee Day. Each year hundreds of thousands leave their home due to wars, hunger, torture and persecution globally. In Europe, although often perceived as a safe region, asylum-seekers are often met by … Read more