The campaign of attacks on Hungarian human rights defenders continues with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's proposed adoption of legislation that will significantly curtail freedom of assembly and association as well as limit possibilities of civil society to operate freely.

Slandering rights defenders

The announcement came after the landslide victory of the Fidesz party in the latest parliamentary elections in Hungary, which took place on 8 April 2018. The elections were criticized by international observers, who noted the blurring of lines between state and party, the campaign’s intimidating and xenophobic rhetoric, as well as the imposed restrictions of freedom of the media and association.

Following the announcement, the pressures on human rights defenders continued when a weekly pro-government magazine publishing a list of more than 200 individuals, including civil rights defenders, journalists and academics, labelling them "mercenaries" of US-Hungarian investor George Soros. During the election campaign, Prime Minister Orban accused Soros’s allies in Hungary of wanting to topple the government and open the country to immigrants.

'We are the majority'

People used social media to organize demonstrations against Orban’s election victory. Around 100,000 people marched through the streets of Budapest, from the State Opera House to the Parliament, chanting, "We are the majority!"

They gathered to express disagreement with the current electoral system, which is unjust and favors the ruling elite, the xenophobic anti-immigration campaign that secured Orban’s third term as prime minister, and the constant shrinking of civic space and overall democratic deterioration.

The authorities deployed large numbers of riot police to each site of the recent peaceful gatherings. The disproportionate security measures and unnecessary display of force intimidate and antagonize protesters, which has a chilling effect on the right to peaceful assembly in Hungary.

Hungary failing its obligations

The continued practice of demonizing human rights defenders, independent media and other civil society organizations critical of the government is in stark contrast to the democratic values and principles Hungary is supposed to uphold. As a member of the European Union, Hungary is obligated to ensure full respect of human rights instead of spreading hate speech against human rights defenders and creating an atmosphere of fear.

“The actions of the Hungarian authorities and Prime Minister Viktor Orban are violating fundamental rights and endanger human rights defenders. Furthermore, they also violate the principles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which obligates signatories to ensure full protection of human rights defenders and sustain necessary conditions for them to operate freely,” said Goran Miletic, director for Europe at Civil Rights Defenders.