The HCLU Is Dismayed at the FIDESZ-fraction's Cordon-removal Action

The HCLU human rights organization would like to call attention to the fact, that even though the current situation at Kossuth square is undoubtedly due to the cynical, unlawful and unacceptable attitude of the police, in a democratic state there is no place for unlawful action even if authorities are believed to be behaving in an unlawful way.

It is apparent, that if ordinary citizens and not members of parliament would have started today's actions, the police would have acted against them without further ado. The police were impotent against the members of parliament bearing the right to immunity, even though this right does not protect them in case of apparent law-breaking and being caught during the unlawful act.

As expected, the police could not step up against the 150 parliament members at the square, thus the message is clear: politicians can do anything, laws do not apply to them.

The HCLU's opinion is, that with respect to Hungary being a democratic nation, responding to unlawful and even human rights infringing conduct by the police can only be handled by lawful means. Friday's action by the members of FIDESZ do not qualify as such, therefore considering it an example for the public is an irresponsible and cynical attitude.

 

Share

Related articles

Litigation on the right to protest

Two actions were launched by the HCLU regarding the right to peaceful assembly in December, 2013. Both actions concern to the same problem: lockdown of a public area around the Prime Minister's residence. In the first case, the police dispersed an ongoing peaceful demonstration on the grounds of closing off the area, for which the organizer filed a claim against the police with the help of HCLU. In the other case, another demonstration planned by the same organizer at the same venue was banned by the court, which was then challenged before the Constitutional Court. Both decisions are ill-unfounded and misinterpret the constitutional limitations of the right to protest.

Human Rights Organizations from Across the Globe Call on UN to Protect Human Rights in the Context of Social Protest

March 20, 2013 GENEVA – As the United Nation’s Human Rights Council prepares to debate a draft motion on social protest, human rights organizations from around the world have joined their voices to call on the UN to provide meaningful protection for this essential democratic right.

Human Rights Organizations’ Petition to the Constitutional Court to Annul the “Nullity Act“

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) request the Constitutional Court to annul Act XVI of 2011 on the redress of the verdicts in connection with the crowd controls in the autumn of 2006 in a joint petition. According to the human rights organizations the act severely violates the rule of law and juridical independence.