Hungarian Helsinki Committee

TAX NUMBER: 19013983-1-42

NEWS

World Refugee Day - 1 out of 40,000: Karox

For today, we made a film about a young client of ours who came to Hungary alone as a child, but the Hungarian state simply threw him out into Serbia.

Assessment of the Transitional Act

The so-called Transitional Act provide the Government excessive powers that can be applied with a reference to an epidemic, with significantly weakened constitutional safeguards. Other provisions for example on asylum, the powers of the military forces, and data protection also give rise to concerns, NGOs say.

A VICTORY FOR CIVIL SOCIETY: EU COURT FINDS FOREIGN-FUNDED NGO LAW IS AGAINST EU LAW

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee calls on the government to take action so that the 2017 Lex NGO is repealed.

European Court of Human Rights cases

In a state of emergency, state authorities have wider powers than usual, and they can even abuse them. In such times all of us have our own responsibilities: doctors to heal, the Police to keep the order up, citizens to comply with the rules. Us, human rights defenders as well: to ensure that during these exceptional times, authorities still only make decisions following fair procedures. Therefore we provide legal aid to the most vulnerable people, and also to those who take health risks in the interest of our society and are doing what their professional knowledge and their moral conscience tell them to do.

When we turn to the European Court of Human Rights, generally we try to draw attention to those structural problems which are not or cannot be remedied by the Hungarian authorities and courts: dismissal of public officials without justification, inhuman circumstances of detention, or unreasonable deprivation of one’s personal freedom.

"The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has a fundamental role in securing the accountability of the state and also in providing immediate assistance to victims. At the same time they are an indispensible source of information for their partners and international organizations."

Nils Muižnieks
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
“I am really grateful to you… I have never received so much help from anyone.”

Milán
former client
“We would need more organizations like yours! Good luck!”

Antal
“We are proud of your work and wish you success!”

Csabi and Judit
“Thank you very much for your kindness and assistance in sending the right answers to my questions.”

László, our client
“We just love you!”

a Migration Aid volunteer
Nyugati railway station
“The Helsinki team has managed to stay calm even in the midst of chaos and panic and they were able to reason professionally while working in the field at the same time. I do not know how long their working days were, but they have become my most important source of information when it came to following legal developments. Respect!”

Ágnes Urbán
Budapest
“Hang in there! It is super what you are doing!”

Dósa Mariann
The City is for All, Közélet Iskolája
"Wholehearted thank you for your answer and for the all-embracing information provided by you. My empathy tells me that short-changed people and victims of aggressive crimes undergo such pain while they live their lives in numbness and solitude. I heard from the news and other sources of information that sometimes even those in power disagree with you, therefore please do not give up your work for the people! Staying human is an obligation!”

Pál
Budapest
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for asking me and taking my professional expertise into consideration during your work. I wish you and all your colleagues good health and success in your future endeavours!”

Mendege Györgyi
retired police lieutenant colonel

REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS

We provide free legal assistance to asylum seekers, stateless persons and unaccompanied minors in Hungary. Reuniting separated families is one of our main objectives. Through our training and research activities, we foster a high-quality, effective and humane asylum procedure – both inside Hungary and in other parts of the world. We combat xenophobia.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

We aim at decreasing the defenceless of people: we provide support to those in contact with the police and the penitentiary system, and we provide legal advice and representation to victims of ill-treatment by official persons or other severe abuses. In addition, we regularly monitor prisons and other places of detention in order to make closed institutions more transparent.

RULE OF LAW

People are free in a state where the consequences of their actions are predictable and where clean and transparent rules apply not only to the individuals, but also to state authorities. Where the state power has no clear limits, there is no individual freedom either. It is important for us that the Hungarian democracy operates on the basis of the rule of law – that is why we step up in its defence.

EQUAL TREATMENT

Everybody should be treated equally; however, we still experience discrimination at many areas of life. For example, members of minorities can be victims of hate crime. We primarily provide legal aid for detainees and asylum seekers fighting against discrimination.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee