Invitation to trial concerning the disclosure of information about the camera system in Városliget

Various reports were released this spring regarding the decision passed by the Metropolitan General Assembly on installing a camera system in the Városliget. We have asked the Chairman of the City Governance Committee of the Metropolitan General Assembly about the details. We did not manage to gain substantial information. Therefore we filed an action with the Central District Court of Pest asking the court determine whether it is lawful to keep such information „secret”.

HCLU wrote a letter to the Metropolitan General Assembly with eight questions reflecting the decision. Unfortunately out of our eight questions only two have been answered substantially by the Chairman of the Committee. However he repeated to us the information that was released in the press earlier.

HCLU filed an action with the Central District Court of Pest, since we did not find the information released in the press satisfactory and we have further inquiries regarding the details of the camera system installation. HCLU would like to be correctly informed on the exact plan of the City Hall. HCLU would like to know whether any market study has been prepared related to the planned camera system and what will be the exact costs of such planned installation.

Setting up camera system in the Városliget is an interesting question first of all because there is no reason to assume that such camera system can serve any useful purposes in crime-prevention or crime investigation. It is hard to imagine that a camera set up in a park surrounded by trees and bushes can efficiently serve such purposes. On the contrary it is granted that having those cameras in the park nobody can spend private moments, without being watched.

The hearing will take place: On September 9, 2005, 14. 45 pm. 2005. at Central District Court of Pest, Budapest, V.ker. Markó utca 25., room 370.

 

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