Éves jelentések / Annual Reports

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) condemns today’s police raids against Hungarian NGOs as politically motivated actions that elevate the illiberal Orban government’s attack against civil society to a new, unprecedented level.

Watch the full speech of Evo Morales, president of Bolivia, at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, march 2013. Now with English and Spanish subtitles.

 In HCLU’s view the terror-inducing activity of the people vindicating the role of order-makers in Gyöngyöspata did not fall under the category of freedom of assembly. Through their threatening appearance the persons „patrolling” the village for ten days questioned the exclusivity of the state’s monopoly on force, while the inactivity of the police created a legal uncertainty.

Associates of HCLU’s Roma program went to the village several times, preparing the casework for and video-recording the events and the Roma residents’ complaints. Based on our on-site experience we took a legal position on the situation, in which we analyze in detail, which measures the authorities should have taken based upon which paragraphs of the law.

On March 17th associates of HCLU personally made known HCLU’s legal position to Zoltán Balog, Secretary of State Responsible for Social Inclusion.