Darvas v. Hungary
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in its decision dated 11 January 2011 that the pre-trial detention of a 27-year old man was unjustified. According to the ECtHR, the applicant should not have been … Read more
Topic: Justice
Anybody may become defenceless in the face of the state’s power.
Engel v. Hungary
On 20 May 2010, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment in the case of Mr. Zoltán Engel versus Hungary. Mr. Engel was sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing a police … Read more
Kmetty v. Hungary
In its chamber judgment issued on 16 December 2003, the European Court of Human Rights held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European … Read more
Prison guard ill-treating detainee deemed guilty – the detainee was represented by the HHC
A prison guard ill-treating a detainee in July 2010 in the Budapest High and Medium Scurity Prison was found guilty by the Regional Court of Budapest on 30 March 2011. The decision is final. The … Read more
Why do we need criminal defence counsel?
Protest against denying certain criminal defendants access to defense counsels
The civil-police consultation organized by the HHC in the VIth district of Budapest was successful
The civil-police consultation between the Budapest VIth District Police and the local organizations representing the Terézváros inhabitants was held in May by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. The civil participants experienced that there is a real possibility to … Read more
Parliament about to breach the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee warned Hungarian MPs that the bill allowing 120-hour long custody without judicial review, interrogations in the first 48 hours of detention without a defense counsel, and the withholding of information regarding the reasons for the arrest are measures contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights and new EU directives to be adopted in the near future.
Letter to Minister of Interior regarding the Ministry’s statement on ECtHR case Csüllög v. Hungary
Strasbourg court finds placement in special security regime in prison is inhuman and degrading
The European Court of Human Rights found that Hungary has breached the ban on inhuman and degrading treatment in the case of Csüllög v Hungary. The applicant was represented by the Helsinki Committee’s lawyer. The case concerned the placement of a prison inmate in a special security regime in the Satoraljaujhely prison for two years. The applicant had no opportunities to challenge his placement in the regime. It follows from the Court’s judgment that Hungary has to improve detention conditions and revise rules on legal remedies available to inmates.
Events of concern in Hungary during the country’s EU presidency
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has prepared a summary on the events of concern happened in Hungary in the course of the country’s EU presidency, with special regard to the signs of racism and intolerance and the adoption of the new Constitution of Hungary.
HHC project on consultative forums between civilians and local police wins Austrian Sozialmarie prize
Projects could be submitted to the Sozialmarie which attempt to deal with a social problem from a new point of view applying creative, original methods. The program of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee in which we organized local “civil-police consultations” won a 1000 euro prize.
NGOs inform the press on Hungary’s human rights performance in advance of UPR review
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new and unique human rights mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council aiming at improving the human rights situation in each of the 192 UN Member States. Hungary’s human rights performance will be reviewed on 11 May 2011.
HHC criticizes state inactivity
During a demonstration organized on 4 May 2011, human rights organizations called on the Hungarian government to take immediate steps to stamp out racist aggression.
Budapest Police acknowledge that restricting access to Parliament Square in 2006 was disproportionate
In 2006, the police restricted access to the square in front of the Parliament of Hungary. Thus, for a while, it was not possible to demonstrate on the square. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has claimed that the … Read more
The first civil-police consultation organized by the HHC in the VIIIth district of Budapest was successful
The first civil-police consultation between the Budapest VIIIth District Police and the local organizations representing the Józsefváros inhabitants was held in April by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. The aim of the consultation was building trust … Read more
Briefing for Budapest-based embassies on Hungary’s human rights performance in advance of UPR review
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee organized a meeting for the embassies of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, The Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and the United States. The HHC presented the list of issues and recommendations as well as its shadow report in advance of the Universal Periodic Review.
Six NGOs call on authorities to act about the situation in Hajdúhadház
HHC turned to the ECtHR concerning the accessibility of data on ex officio appointed defence counsels
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee submitted an application to the European Court of Human Rights after the Supreme Court of Hungary had ruled that the names of appointed counsels and the number of cases in which … Read more
Prison guard ill-treating detainee deemed guilty – the detainee was represented by the HHC
A prison guard ill-treating a detainee in July 2010 in the Budapest High and Medium Scurity Prison was found guilty by the Regional Court of Budapest on 30 March 2011. The decision is final. The … Read more
HHC and HCLU turn to the Constitutional Court regarding the
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) submitted a joint petition to the Constitutional Court, requesting the Court to repeal the Act of Parliament nullifying the court decisions brought in connection … Read more