No Substantive Ruling in the Amnesty International vs. National Police Headquarters Lawsuit

On July 13th, 2007 the Metropolitan Court returned its verdict in the Amnesty International (AI) vs. National Police Headquarters (NPH) lawsuit. The HCLU has taken on the legal representation of AI during the proceedings.

AI has sued the NPH for their practices during the visit of Lech Kaczynski, Head of the Republic of Poland in March, 2006. Civil organizations prepared for the welcoming of the Polish president by organizing demonstrations in response to his homophobic measures. The demonstrations were obstructed by the police without issuing a prohibitive order. The police set up cordons and did not allow the demonstrators to reach the previously reported locations.

The court, without substantially dealing with the matter, overruled the order of the NPH and has obligated them to re-conduct the process. It was the AI's and the HCLU's goal to stop the restrictive practices of the police and local governments, with which - by a simple administrative order - they restrict our basic rights.

 

Share

Related articles

Human Rights Organizations Participate in Public Hearing on the Right to Protest in Brazil

On Tuesday, November 18th, a representative of the ACLU, CCLA, CELS, EIPR, HCLU, KHRC, LRC and Liberty, who are part of the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), made a presentation at a public hearing on the right to protest organized by Brazil’s Federal Attorney General’s Office and Sao Paulo State’s prosecutors’ office. The purpose of the hearing was to exchange data, information, criticism and proposals related to exercising that right.

A Court had to Overturn the Actions of the Police and the Counterterrorism Center

The Metropolitan Court of Budapest invalidated the decision of Budapest’s chief police officer that effectively banned an announced demonstration at the Prime Minister’s residence. The decision also found that closing the area, in order to prevent the demonstration, violated the law. The HCLU welcomes the decision by the court which stated that “limiting a peaceful demonstration because it is held in the presence of a high level official but otherwise serves as an expression of a political opinion is unnecessary in a democratic society.”

Budapest Pride March to the Parliament Given Green Light

The Metropolitan Court granted the appeal of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and overruled the prohibiting decision of the police. Thus the participants of the Budapest Pride can march from Heroes’ Square to Kossuth Square in 2011.