News

Landmark decision on freedom of information by the European Court of Human Rights

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union won a freedom of information case against the Republic of Hungary. For the first time, the right to access to state-held information as part of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights has been formally recognized, as reflected in today’s ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. The Strasbourg based Court declared that withholding information needed to participate in public debate on matters of public importance may violate the freedom of expression.

Harm Reduction: Revolutions

Debate on harm reduction at the UN high level meeting on drugs - is it really a storm in the teacup?

Drug-free World: Reloaded

Watch our video with the sleeping delegates of a UN meeting dreaming about a drug free world

Questioning Costa’s Answer

Costa vs. Polak -
where is the discussion paper?
Guess the riddle!

Protest Against the Global Drug War - 11.03.2009

Watch the video filmed at our demonstration & press conference in Vienna

Dare to Question Prohibition!

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union has collected the voices of drug users, scientists and activist from all around the globe. They are sending their messages to the participants of the United Nations meeting on drugs. What would you tell the delegates to do? How would you change global drug policies?
21 videos already up, and we upload one more each day until the meeting!

Case against the Office of the Prime Minister

The Court of Appeal declared in its final judgment on the 21th of January 2009, that the minutes of the government meetings are data of public interest. Unfortunately, much information won’t be available for the public.

Smoking without Borders

An HCLU film about drug tourism in the Netherlands: is it really only the problem of the Dutch?

Unconstitutional Criminal Registry

The Hungarian Constitutional Court declared several rules of the act regulating the criminal registry (hereinafter: CRA) unconstitutional. The Court nullified rules on the temporal scope of the registry, on data transfer from the registry and on rules of dactyloscopic and photo registry.

HCLU Builds Freedom of Information Network

September 28th is International Information Freedom Day, alias ’Right to Know Day’. The HCLU celebrates the occasion by launching its new Freedom of Information Lawyers Network.

Why Russia Says No To Methadone?

Watch our video and find the answer(s)!

HCLU Wins Landmark Freedom of Information Case

The Hungarian Ministry of Development and Economics is ordered to disclose data, which reveal what investments worth 200 billion Hungarian forints – nearly 800 million euros - were carried out by Swedish companies in exchange for the purchase of Gripen fighter-jets by the Hungarian Air Force. The journalist of on-line newspaper, origo.hu – with legal representation provided by the HCLU - has initiated a Freedom of Information lawsuit in December, 2007, because the Ministry has previously rejected to provide information to the journalist’s FOI request. According to the September 8th ruling of the Regional Court of Appeals, the defendant Ministry acted unlawfully.