Secret, targeted surveillance in Hungary

By Thomas Vink, 25th May 2021

Domestic law on surveillance in Hungary does not require individuals who have been subjected to surveillance measures to be notified of that fact. This means there are no adequate safeguards in place to find out about or challenge unwarranted surveillance. It also ultimately gives the government the power to surveil anyone they want without fear of being challenged.

HCLU is supporting interrelated cases concerning three human rights activists in Hungary who have experienced this directly. The activists think they are being surveiled because of their activism, but are not able to confirm their suspicions, gain access to information on what is being collected about them, or challenge the legality of this surveillance. HCLU are arguing that there is no effective remedy against unlawful surveillance in Hungary.

Secret, targeted surveillance in Hungary

Organisation Name

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU)

Country/Jurisdiction

Hungary

Amount Granted

EUR 16,854

Current Status

Ongoing

Grant type #1

Single Instance Litigation Support

Grant type #2

Litigation Track Support

Description

Domestic law on surveillance in Hungary does not require individuals who have been subjected to surveillance measures to be notified of that fact. This means there are no adequate safeguards in place to find out about or challenge unwarranted surveillance. It also ultimately gives the government the power to surveil anyone they want without fear of being challenged.

HCLU is supporting interrelated cases concerning three human rights activists in Hungary who have experienced this directly. The activists think they are being surveiled because of their activism, but are not able to confirm their suspicions, gain access to information on what is being collected about them, or challenge the legality of this surveillance. HCLU argue that there is no effective remedy against unlawful surveillance in Hungary.

"There are no adequate safeguards in place to find out about or challenge unwarranted surveillance"

Strategic Goal

To get a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights leading to the government of Hungary creating a legal environment more conducive for human rights defenders and activists to challenge surveillance, strengthen freedom of expression, and bolster the right to privacy.

Media and related links

Organisation Name

Women’s Link Worldwide

Image credit: Andres Umana on Unsplash