Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is a human rights NGO. Since our foundation in 1994, we have been working for everybody being informed about their fundamental human rights and empowered to enforce it against the undue interference by those in position of public power.

our focus areas & news

The Agreement Between the Hungarian Tax and Financial Control Administration (APEH) and Business Software Alliance (BSA) Has to

On Friday the HCLU have called upon the APEH to make public the cooperation agreement with BSA on the grounds of public interest data. The document was made accessible on the internet, even though previously the APEH stated that ’by unwritten law, such documents contain an obligation of secrecy, thus the original text will not be made public on the APEH’s webpage’.

Disgraceful Letter from Deputy Ombudsman

Albert Takács, Deputy Ombudsman of the Parliament has rejected the complaint of the HCLU's attorney in the matter of special healthcare for autists. The HCLU voices its outrage over the letter.

HCLU Wins Lawsuit Against the Forensic Institute for the Observation and Treatment of the Mentally Ill (FIOTM)

As we have reported, a client represented by the HCLU has recently started prodeedings against the Forensic Institute for the Observation and Treatment of the Mentally Ill (FIOTM), to have the courts determine: the FIOTM has violated his personal rights, when they placed him in an institution without a non-smoking ward and subjected him to unnecessary therapy.

The HCLU Wins 100 Billion Lawsuit

In September, 2006 the HCLU has sued the Ministry of Finance for denying to make public the information relating to the 100 billion forint deficit in the 2006 budget. Last October the Metropolitan Court has ruled in favor of the HCLU and in it's first instance decision has declared the requested data to be of public-interest.

The Court Has Again Ruled in Favor of Making Public the Paks Damage-recovery Data

In the repeated first instance proceedings, the Metropolitan Court has ruled in favor of the Energy Club (green NGO) and has obligated the Nuclear Safety Directorate of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency (OAH) to make public the application submitted by Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. to OAH for damage-recovery. The almost 2 year long legal battle is not yet over, since the defendant will probably appeal the decision. The Energy Club was represented by HCLU attorney, András Schiffer.

The Hungarian Constitutional Court annuled the restrictive order of the General Assembly of Budapest on the right of assembly

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court, which abrogated the disposition modified on the 26th October 2006 of the decree 59/1995.