Amnesty International Hungary

Cases

Relevant SG report

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 47.162494

Longitude: 19.5033041

From Region

Individual's/organization's activity: targeted, at least in part, for their advocacy on migrants’ rights at the United Nations.

Type of rights defended

Was the victim a civil servant, member of the security forces or of the judiciary?: No

Reported trigger of reprisal: participated in the review of Hungary by the Human Rights Committee during the consideration of the Government’s periodic report in March 2018

Engagement with UN body

Type of attempted engagement

Reprisal information: It was reported that the Governing Fidesz party have used language such as calling for “cleaning out [the country]” with reference to civil society. In 2018, there has been a targeted campaign of putting stickers on the doors of NGOs reading ‘organization supporting illegal migration,’ reportedly carried out by coalition partner KDNP (Christian Democrats) or Fidelitas (the youth wing of Fidesz). The Hungarian Helsinki Committee received a sticker on their door on 27 June 2018, while Amnesty International received such a sticker on 12 June 2018. It was reported that the Governing Fidesz party have used language such as calling for “cleaning out [the country]” with reference to civil society. In 2018, there has been a targeted campaign of putting stickers on the doors of NGOs reading ‘organization supporting illegal migration,’ reportedly carried out by coalition partner KDNP (Christian Democrats) or Fidelitas (the youth wing of Fidesz). The Hungarian Helsinki Committee received a sticker on their door on 27 June 2018, while Amnesty International received such a sticker on 12 June 2018.

Types of reprisals suffered

Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?: No

Government response content: the Government notes it is of the position that “putting stickers on the doors of NGOs does not in any way prevent organizations from availing themselves of UN procedures in the field of human rights.” Further, the Government notes that in the review of the Human Rights Committee, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary only remarked that “serious debates on this issue [migration] were taking place with non-governmental organizations, which exerted their voices in the international space” and that this should not be interpreted as a “call for cleaning out the country” with reference to civil society.

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?: No

Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?: No

Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?: No