Hearing at the Committee on Civil Liberties on Human rights in Hungary in the EP in Brussels. Statements by Veronika MORA, Director, Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Attila MONG, Editor of Atlatszo.hu, Barbora CERNUSAKOVA, Amnesty International Zoltan KOVACS, international Spokesman of the Hungarian Government, Birgit SIPPEL (S&amp;D, DE) and Cecilia WIKSTR&Ouml;M (ALDE, SE).

Brussels

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

respect for human rights in the world (T)

SIPPEL, Birgit (S&D, DE)

WIKSTRÖM, Cecilia (ALDE, SE)

hungarian constitution (T)

hearing

EU - Hungary (T)

Human rights in Hungary: extracts from the hearing at the Committee on Civil Liberties

SOUNDBITE (English), Veronika MORA, Director, Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, "A new law has been been introduced at the beginning of 2012, which caused NGOs difficulties in adaptation, to come into conformity with the new rules and regulations. It also increased administrative burdens and bureaucratic demands of operating an NGO; And at the same funding sources that have been earlier available or used by &gt;NGOs traditionally, has either dried up or has become completely different that it was before. "

SOUNDBITE (English), Veronika MORA, Director, Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, "The criminal accusations escalated into a full-fledged police raid on the 8 of September, when the offices of my foundation and our partners and private homes of employees were searched  by the police. Computers, documents and servers were seized on this day.Supposedly, and this is an answer to the legal proceedings, ever since then there is a criminal investigation going on against suspects unknown, so I find it important to highlight that there have been any charges against any organisation or person in relation to the Norwegian NGO fund. Supposedly there is an investigation going on. However, neither me nor any of my colleagues have been approached since since the 8th of September by any investigational services in Hungary."

SOUNDBITE (English), Attila MONG, Editor of Atlatszo.hu, "What is happening now is really unprecedented, there is just one party's influence, and the public broadcaster is following serviently the goverenment's spin on events and basically just broadcasting government propaganda."

SOUNDBITE (English), Barbora CERNUSAKOVA, Amnesty International, "Political statements that stigmatise NGOs and label them and explicitly as foreign agents, is an interference with freedom of expression. So we have actually an authoritative statement that these things are problematic, and equally the special rapporteur finds all dees that are targeting NGOs as problematic."

SOUNDBITE (Hungarian), Zoltan KOVACS, Interantional Spokesman of the Hungarian Government, "One thing that occurred to me was that this hearing is like the th season of a soap opera, where not even the script writers know what this is about."

SOUNDBITE (Hungarian), Zoltan KOVACS, International Spokesman of the Hungarian Government, <p>"The official position of the Hungarian government is that we are hearing biased opinions and outright lies. They are saying, quoting things which were never said, and it is very difficult to debate with people like that."</p>

SOUNDBITE (German), Birgit SIPPEL (S&amp;D, DE), "Do we want to carry on talking about Hungary? It's not pour decision, it's you the Orban government that can do much to ensure that we don't have any reason to talk about you."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia WIKSTR&#214;M (ALDE, SE), "You should really think of the way that you are addressing us, the elected members of the European Parliament, when you are characterising the European Parliament and this committee as a soap opera. It is unacceptable (applause)."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia WIKSTR&#214;M (ALDE, SE), "Isn't it difficult, finding yourself in a conspiracy in Hungary, jointly run by the European Court of Justice, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission? Tell us now the truth in this setting, are all liars to you ?"