Hungary

On the heels of Hungary’s recent adoption of a Law on the Transparency of Organisations Supported from Abroad, the European Commission is urged to act to protect NGOs and the rule of law in Hungary.

Organisations have called for for a strong and effective response from the European Parliament, critical of the Hungarian government’s continued attack on independent institutions, including academic institutions, civil society organisations and media.

IFEX members call on EU officials to condemn Hungary’s attack on the Central European University as a threat to academic freedom and free expression.

IFEX calls for the full and immediate withdrawal of Hungary’s proposed foreign funding bill, due to the threat it poses to local members and other independent civil society groups.

Populist, nationalist politicians in Central and Eastern Europe are launching attacks on civil society; the aim is to silence criticism and undermine pro-democracy, anti-corruption groups that hold governments to account.

The online harassment of journalists in Hungary adds a new dimension to the country’s overall state of freedom of expression, according to a new IPI report.

Hungarian courts’ doctrine of objective liability for media outlets quoting third parties presents a significant obstacle to the coverage of political affairs, a new study on civil defamation practice in Hungary has found.

Fidesz’s vice-president, Szilárd Németh, along with MPs of the governing parties, launched a verbal attack against several Hungarian civil society organisations that receive part of their funding from foreign donors.

The sale took place two weeks after its previous owner unexpectedly suspended publication, blocked its journalists’ access to their emails and offices, and pulled the paper’s online edition.

A series of news reports on government corruption is followed by a surprising notice, delivered by motorcycle couriers, informing opposition newspaper employees that they no longer have a workplace.

IFEX speaks with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union’s Dalma Dojcsák about press freedom in Hungary, the social implications of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and media coverage of the refugee crisis.

IFEX members support the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union’s draft law to decriminalise libel and defamation of public officials

Hungarian authorities have denied the press entrance to refugee camps and transit centres. Police have beaten journalists with batons, broken their equipment, and thrown teargas at them, even when they identify themselves as members of the press.

The HCLU is calling on the government to provide refugees with basic services, in addition to giving them information packages about the asylum procedure, available health centres, and other relevant information. It also calls upon authorities to allow journalists and human rights groups to do their jobs freely.

Although the United Nations refugee agency, was recently granted access to Roszke, Hungarian authorities have not given permission to journalists or human rights organisations to visit the two police-run detention centres at the Roszke border between Serbia and Hungary, known as Hangar 1 and Hangar 2.

In a video footage widely shared in media reports on the attack which took place on 8 September, Petra Laszlo, who worked for N1TV, is seen kicking several refugees, including children, as they ran from a police lines during disturbances at Roszke, southern Hungary.