Anybody may become defenceless in the face of the state’s power.
The Government intends to solve the problem of severe overcrowding in penitentiaries by amending the respective law instead of decreasing the number of detainees. According to the recent amendments, the minimal living space for detainees … Read more
The UN Human Rights Committee on its 100th session assessed Hungary’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee helped the Committee’s work by preparing two shadow reports.
According to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee the public service broadcasters’ decision not to air the campaign ad of Jobbik because of its use of the term „gypsy criminality”, suggesting a strong connection between ethnicity and criminality was rightful. The term offends the dignity of hundreds of thousands, and is capable of inciting hatred. The National Election Committee’s decision granting Jobbik’s claim has formal shortcomings, factual errors and also with this decison the Committee has exceeded its authority.
The HHC has prepared a shadow report for the 100th session of the UN Human Rights Committee on the human rights situation in Hungary.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee reviewed the planned amendments to the Police Act. In its opinion it criticizes among others the regulations dealing with the establishment of service, points out the under-regulated fields, and makes recommendations … Read more
Seven organizations expressed their concern about the parliamentary comissions’ work in a joint statement; because they think it is not in line with the principle of separation of powers.
One of Malév’s subsidiaries, Malév GH Zrt. which is responsible for ground handling, was fined one million Forints by The Equal Treatment Authority of Hungary (ETA) for discriminating against an employee on grounds of his … Read more
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