Anybody may become defenceless in the face of the state’s power.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union reviewed the government’s bill regarding the amendments aiming to improve public safety. The proposed regulations would introduce stricter rules, and in case of some offenses … Read more
The Bill on legislative amendments “necessary for improving public security” has led to a situation in which juvenile offenders committing petty theft almost inevitably end up in confinement. The amendments proposed by the government in … Read more
In June 2008 the HHC sent a public interest information request to all Budapest-based police stations to find out in how many cases the police had appointed ex officio defense counsels in mandatory defense cases … Read more
The HHC’s lawyer brought a lawsuit on behalf of a blind person who had been denied access to a supermarket (Match) because of his guide dog. The first instance court established the violation of the … Read more
In the case of the “Three Strikes Law” (Bill No. T/25.) the HHC has also turned to the President of Hungary, asking him not to sign the law but send it to the Constitutional Court … Read more
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its fourth periodic visit to Hungary in March/April 2009, together with … Read more
The system of prison complaints is dysfunctional due to systemic and procedural reasons and does not meet international standards throughout the CEE-FSU region.As previous discussions and presentations suggest, in most of these countries the prison … Read more
The HHC’s project “Steps Towards a Transparent Appointment System in Criminal Legal Aid” is aimed at acquiring statistical data about the practice of appointment and promoting reform of the system with the aim of reducing the possibility of corruption. As part of the project, the HHC has requested data concerning the names of appointed counsels and the number of cases in which they were appointed in 2008 from 28 police headquarters in seven regions.
The HHC requested data concerning the names of appointed counsels and the number of cases in which they were appointed in 2008 from 28 headquarters in seven regions, in order to demonstrate that the practice of having “in-house” lawyers at police headquarters is widespread.
Study published on the practice of the Independent Police Complaints Board
On 19 October 2009, the HHC’s lawyer filed an actio popularis claim with the Equal Treatment Authority concerning the statements of the Kiskunlacháza mayor, who in relation to a murder (with regard to which at present … Read more
In June 2008 the HHC sent a public interest information request to all Budapest-based police stations to find out in how many cases the police had appointed ex officio defense counsels in mandatory defense cases … Read more
Discrimination against the Roma is widespread in all fields of life in Hungary. Research shows that police officers are also highly biased against Roma – but no research has been carried out yet with regard … Read more
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 Comittee has claimed that the … Read more
The HHC and the Legal Defense Bureau for National and Ethnic Minorities issued a statement and a detailed legal analysis as to what kind of consequences it has according to the current legal provisions if … Read more
The Legal Defence Bureau for National and Ethnic Minorities, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and the European Roma Rights Centre urges to clarify the role of the National Security Services in the … Read more
The HHC issued a statement concerning an event organized by the so-called “New” Magyar Gárda Movement on private premises, on 22 August 2009. In its statement the HHC claimed that the Police should have prevented the Magyar Gárda in holding the event. In the HHC’s view it is clear that the “old” and the “new” Magyar Gárda Movement are the same, and taking part in the dissolved Magyar Gárda Movement and in its leadership constitutes a petty offence and a criminal offence respectively, according to the relevant legal provisions. The HHC expressed the view that the Police had the obligation to take measures in the case also on private premises.