Hungary

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, RSF protested against the pressure which officials from the Federation of Young Democrats (FIDESz, the ruling party) alliance have brought to bear against the national newspaper “Magyar Hírlap” and the RTL-Klub television station since the beginning of May 2001. “Your party’s positions appear to […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: IFJ Report Accuses Hungary Over “Improper Political Influence” As Public TV Faces Bankruptcy THE International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ group, today launched a hard-hitting attack on the government and authorities in Hungary over mistreatment of journalists and the ruinous state of the public […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: IFJ Sends Mission To Hungary Over Crisis in Public Television The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest organization of journalists, announced today that next month it is sending a mission of experts to Hungary to examine the crisis in public broadcasting. For almost two years, […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 17 July 2000 joint statement by the Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute, ARTICLE 19 and the Access to Information Programme, regarding public access to data relating to the National Radio and Television Commission’s (ORTT) frequency distribution: COLPI, THE CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL POLICY INSTITUTE ARTICLE 19 ACCESS TO INFORMATION […]

(WAN/IFEX) – WAN and the World Editors Forum have written to Zoltan Horvath, head of the Office of State Secretaries, to express their serious concern at his ministry’s proposal to increase newspaper contributions to the state Cultural Fund. The Cultural Fund was established in 1993 as a means of providing financial assistance to certain cultural […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, RSF requested an explanation concerning the detention of Lazslo Liskaï, a French journalist of Hungarian origin, in Zagreb. “We are uncertain that this measure is fully justified,” said Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “We ask that you look into this affair and ensure that the […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly alarmed by a 27 December 1999 grenade attack near the offices of the independent weekly “Elet es Irodalom” in Budapest. The newspaper’s editors suspect the attack came in reprisal for its recent court victory in a libel suit that Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Fidesz, the main governing party, filed […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 24 August 1999 letter to the prime minister, Victor Orban, RSF protested the seizure of reporter Aniko Dicsoe’s videotape by the agriculture minister, Jozsef Torgyan. RSF asked Orban to condemn the move as an attempt to stifle press freedom. Recalling that Hungary has signed the European Convention on Human Rights, secretary-general […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – ARTICLE 19 has been informed that, on 28 July 1999 at 8:30 a.m. (local time), the General Attorney of Hungary ordered the termination of the case against Hungarian journalist Laszlo Juszt on the grounds that no crime had been committed. Juszt was detained by the police in early June and his magazine […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI letter to Hungarian Minister of Chancellery Istvan Stumpf asking for a meeting to discuss the growing trend of government interference in the media: **New cases and updates to IFEX alerts of 18 June and 4 June 1999** Mr. Istvan Stumpf Minister of Chancellery Government of Hungary Budapest, Hungary […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an Article 19 letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán: **Updates IFEX alert of 4 June 1999** Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Kossuth Lajos ter 1-3 1055 Budapest Budapest fovaros Republic of Hungary Fax: +36 1 268 30 50 Dear Prime Minister, ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, is greatly […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly troubled by the 1 June 1999 arrest of Laszlo Juszt, editor of the weekly magazine “Kriminalis” and former host of a television program of the same name on state-run MTV, on charges of revealing state secrets. The National Security office has accused Juszt of publishing classified documents in last week’s […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed its concern following the suspension of “Kurir”, a Budapest daily. According to RSF’s information, on 7 October 1998, the Minister of Culture banned publication of “Kurir”, explaining that the newspaper was illegally published. Earlier, on 30 September, the daily had been forced to suspend publication after its owner, Postabank, abruptly […]

(IPI/IFEX) – According to information obtained by IPI, the Hungarian government is considering moves to force the Hungarian media – by law and under threat of sanctions – to publish rectification not only of facts but also of opinions published in the media – a development that deeply concerns IPI. IPI has been informed that […]