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
Thematic Area
Privacy and Data Protection
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