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.

On 23 April the Tribunal of the Capiptal overruled and repealed the decision of the Budapest Police Chief, which had previously banned the Budapest Pride March. Similarly to last year, the court accepted the arguments of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union's lawyer and rejected the 13-page-long justification of the police. The court ruled that there is no valid legal reason to prohibit the Pride March on the announced route.

With the legal help of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Rainbow Mission Foundation challenges the banning order issued by the Budapest Chief of Police.

The Hungarian Capitol Court has overruled two police orders prohibiting trade unionists from demonstrating in front of the Parliament and the Buda Castle on the first weekend of October. The Capitol Court fully shared the HCLU’s opinion that the reasoning of the police was faulty and their prohibiting measures were unfounded. The planned demonstrations will be held.

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.

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.

The HCLU has written a letter to Tibor Draskovics, Hungarian Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement, to question why private security services were allowed to check identities and search the clothing of citizens during the March 15th National State Ceremonies.

On August 7th, 2007 Dr. Bencze József, Liutenant General High Comissioner of Hungarian National Police invited Balázs Dénes, President of the HCLU and his colleagues to a meeting at the National Police Headquarters. For results of this meeting, please read the below press release.

On the initiation of the Háttér Support Society for LGBGS (Hungarian gay and lesbian rights organization), a number of civil organizations have signed a declaration about the events that took place on July 7th, 2007 during the Budapest Gay Pride Parade. Read the declaration!

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.

"Upon the request of the Budapest Investigation Authority - following the HCLU's press conference yesterday - the head of the National Police Headquarters (NPH) initiated an investigation by the NPH's Traffic Control Department in order to determine whether the use of the controversial firearms and rubber bullets was legal. According to available information and with reference to norms, use of these tools was legal" - notifies the police on their webpage (www.police.hu).

The HCLU will hold a press conference on findings of police practices during September and October 23rd, 2006