Hungarian Helsinki Committee

Hungarian CSOs contribute to the European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report - Hungarian Helsinki Committee For the seventh year in a row, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee is contributing to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report in coordination with other Hungarian human rights and anti-corrup...

Overall, the developments in Hungary we document in our 2025 Rule of Law Report submission show a continued and serious disregard for EU values, EU law, and CJEU judgments. Read the full report: helsinki.hu/en/hungarian...

Key concerns:
▪️ persistent deficiencies in judicial independence, blocking the direct effect of EU law,
▪️ lack of progress in tackling high-level corruption,
▪️ pressure on media freedom and failure to implement EMFA,
▪️ a shrinking civic space, a new restrictive law, banning of Pride events.

NEW -- Our 8th contribution with our Hungarian NGO partners to the @ec.europa.eu consultation for the annual Rule of Law report. We cover
⚖️ the justice system,
🛑 the anti-corruption framework,
📰 media pluralism and media freedom, and
🏛️ institutional checks and balances. helsinki.hu/en/hungarian...

Threat Assessment of the 2026 Hungarian Parliamentary Elections - Hungarian Helsinki Committee In April 2026, the parliamentary elections will be a pivotal moment for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Hungary.

It’s official: Hungary’s parliamentary elections will be held on 12 April.
Our threat assessment highlights serious risks to election integrity, including breaches of domestic and international democratic standards.
helsinki.hu/en/2026-elec...

Hungary 12 April elections - @odihr.pl recommends an Election Observation Mission:
core team of analysts
+ request the secondment by OSCE States of 18 long-term observers
+ 200 short-term observers to follow
election day proceedings
+ media monitoring

odihr.osce.org/sites/defaul...

Threat Assessment of the 2026 Hungarian Parliamentary Elections - Hungarian Helsinki Committee In April 2026, the parliamentary elections will be a pivotal moment for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Hungary.

It’s official: Hungary’s parliamentary elections will be held on 12 April.
Our threat assessment highlights serious risks to election integrity, including breaches of domestic and international democratic standards.
helsinki.hu/en/2026-elec...

Quote: “The disclosure of around 200,000 Hungarians’ personal data is the largest politically motivated rights violation in post-1989 Hungarian history. Judges appear to be a key target of this doxing attack.”

In Hungary, judges are being doxed – their names, addresses, and private data leaked and publicized for supposed political leanings.

TAMÁS MATUSIK traces how this new wave of intimidation exposes the fragile state of judicial independence in Hungary.

verfassungsblog.de/hungary-judg...

📣CALL FOR APPLICATIONS!

⭐Our STARLIGHT 2.0 programme is all about equipping experienced lawyers & NGO legal staff to turn #humanrights into action through strategic litigation.

📅Deadline👉 Nov 20
📝Apply here👉 bit.ly/4o9Pmph

🤝 @hungarianhelsinki.bsky.social @hertieschool.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

Webinar recording 👉 bit.ly/4oabcbV

Call for applications 👉 bit.ly/4o9Pmph

🤝 @hungarianhelsinki.bsky.social ky.social
@hertieschool.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

⭐What does it take to turn legal victories into real change?

At our STARLIGHT 2.0 webinar, one message rang clear:
🗣️ Strategic litigation isn’t just about winning cases, it’s about reshaping systems, and amplifying silenced voices.

That’s what our programme is built for 👇

The next Article 7 hearing in respect of Hungary will be held on 21 October in the General Affairs Council.
9 Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny.
Our new paper: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...

Ahead of the 21 October General Affairs Council hearing in the Article 7 procedure concerning Hungary, 9 independent Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments over the past year, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny. helsinki.hu/en/questions...

Deficiencies of the Law-Making Process in Hungary - Hungarian Helsinki Committee Mapping paper on the public consultation on draft laws, parliamentary law-making, and the perpetuated states of exception

Hungary's Law-Making Process: Executive Dominance and Eroded Oversight
⚠️ Ineffective Public Consultations
⚠️ Parliamentary Process Instrumentalisation
⚠️ Perpetual Emergency Powers
⚠️ Opposition Marginalisation and Sanctions

📗 Read our new mapping paper: helsinki.hu/en/deficienc...

The European Commission just published the 2025 Rule of Law Report.
Join us on Wednesday, 16 July at 14:00-15:00 in this EPC webinar in to discuss what the report’s new edition brings.
With @martapardavi.bsky.social @mariaskora.bsky.social @ericmaurice.bsky.social @danielfreund.bsky.social

The European Commission just published the 2025 Rule of Law Report.
Join us on Wednesday, 16 July at 14:00-15:00 in this EPC webinar in to discuss what the report’s new edition brings.
With @martapardavi.bsky.social @mariaskora.bsky.social @ericmaurice.bsky.social @danielfreund.bsky.social

Four years after the detention of Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Uladzimir Labkovich, 40+ INGOs urge Belarus to uphold the rule of law and to immediately and unconditionally release all HRDs arbitrarily detained in Belarus.

humanrightshouse.org/statements/f...

#FreeViasna #FreeBelarus

Budapest Pride 🏳️‍🌈🇭🇺 the ban backfired! Peaceful, safe, happy and huge!
Organisers estimate a crowd over 200,000 people.

Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán’s rollback of rights Record numbers expected at march despite Hungary’s leader saying those attending will face ‘legal consequences’

We hope that Budapest Pride today will be a peaceful and joyous celebrations of human rights. But this morning the legal situation is still quite unclear. We're ready to give legal assistance to participants if they are fined for taking part.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Q&A - Budapest Pride 2025 - Hungarian Helsinki Committee The Hungarian Government uses its power arbitrarily to discourage people from attending the Budapest Pride in 2025. According to an amendment adopted by the Parliament, attending Pride will be conside...

Many thousands of people are expected to participate in Budapest Pride 🏳️‍🌈 this Saturday, 28 June. We need people to be informed and to feel safe in exercising their right to freedom of assembly. So here’s our Q&Q guide: helsinki.hu/en/pride2025/

Orbán’s challenger hopes that Pride will come before a st... Hungary’s opposition leader can’t speak out in favour of the banned Budapest march for fear of losing votes when he tries to break the right’s 15-year gr...

"People wake up in the morning and don’t know which of their fundamental rights are going to be taken away; that’s not a normal way to live." The legal battle for equal rights and freedom of assembly is heating up before Budapest Pride 🏳️‍🌈 on Saturday, 28 June. observer.co.uk/news/interna...

A Kúria nem állt a szivárványos tüntetők mellé A Kúria szerint nem lehet felvonulást tartani a szexuális és nemi kisebbségek jogegyenlősége mellett Magyarországon.

Hungary in 2025: Far-right groups can hold rallies promoting exclusionary messages, while the Supreme Court (Kúria) has upheld a police ban on a LGBT+ rights demonstration planned by 4 human rights groups. We continue the struggle for freedom of assembly and human rights. helsinki.hu/a-kuria-dont...

‘Those who promote accountability, democratic values and human rights are branded enemies of the state’ CIVICUS discusses Hungary’s now-postponed foreign agents bill with Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation that defends human dignity through legal and...

Vote delayed ≠ threat gone
The proposed law targeting civil society, media, and democracy groups isn't dead—it's just on pause. The political intent to silence watchdogs remains crystal clear. lens.civicus.org/interview/th...

Hungary postpones vote on law to curb foreign-funded organisations Orbán’s ruling party delays vote on legislation allowing government to ban organisations with foreign funding

Postponing the final vote on the bill is not a retreat but merely a tactical delay. Protests by civic actors, media and businesses helped secure this temporary relief. The next months will be crucial to safeguard freedom of expression, association and assembly. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Commissioner asks Hungary’s Parliament not to adopt law that stifles civil society - Commissioner for Human Rights - www.coe.int Strasbourg 04/06/2025

Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's @coe.int Commissioner for Human Rights has asked Hungary’s Parliament not to adopt the law that stifles civil society.
It breaches freedom of expression and association, privacy, fair trial rights and the ban on discrimination. www.coe.int/en/web/commi...

This brings us one step closer to a legal victory that is aimed at ensuring that the Pride march in Budapest will be held peacefully and lawfully on 28 June!

Siker: szabad a szivárványos menet Budapesten - Magyar Helsinki Bizottság Továbbra sincs olyan indok, amely jogszerűen megalapozhatná a szivárványos menet megtiltását. Ma délelőtt a rendőrség megerősítette, lehet az LMBTQI jogokért felvonulni Budapest belvárosában, amikor t...

SEE YOU AT BUDAPEST PRIDE ON 28 JUNE 🏳️‍🌈
After an initial police ban on a demonstration by 5 human rights NGOs and our successful court challenge, Budapest Police today acknowledged a demonstration for LGBTIQ+ rights in Budapest. This means Budapest Pride on 28/6 is ON.

ℹ️ helsinki.hu/siker-szabad...

‚Chtějí nás vyhladovět.‘ Nový maďarský zákon se chystá umlčet občanskou společnost „Ani s naším rostoucím zaměřením na erozi demokracie jsme nečekali, kde budeme dnes,“ uvádí pro server iROZHLAS.cz maďarská advokátka Márta Pardaviová, spolupředsedkyně Maďarského helsinského výboru.

„Návrh vyjmenovává témata, která se stávají tabu. Pokud byste se jimi chtěli zabývat a máte příjmy ze zahraničí, mohli byste riskovat ztrátu přístupu k jakýmkoli příjmům,“ popisuje právnička Márta Pardaviová.
We talked to Czech public radio @irozhlas.cz

www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-svet/...

“Sometimes it might seem kind of tempting to say: ‘OK, we’re just going to make this compromise, and it might go away,’” András Kádár told @theguardian.com. “But ... we always hit new rock bottoms. It’s very important to fight every inch and bit of this process.” www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Hungary: Banning LGBTI march for “resembling Budapest Pride” a deeply disturbing development - Hungarian Helsinki Committee In a stark display of authoritarian overreach and discriminatory intent, the Budapest police have banned this year’s LGBTQI march scheduled for June 1 - marking the first known use of Hungary’s newly ...

Budapest police decided to ban an LGBTQI march on June 1, refuting the claim by Hungary’s EU minister, János Bóka, that “there is no such thing in Hungary as a Pride ban”. 5 NGOs condemn the move as a politically motivated violation of the right to peaceful assembly. helsinki.hu/en/hungary-b...

We joined @liberties.eu's open letter to @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu, warning of the severe and existential threat to democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law in Hungary and in the EU as a whole. Already 320+ orgs from all over Europe have joined the call on the Commission to act fast.