Hungarian Helsinki Committee issues warning on rule of law

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has issued a statement regarding recent criminal proceedings involving members of the political and economic elite. The organization emphasized that the new government and judicial authorities face a societal demand for justice against autocracy.

While the Committee stated it will not analyze individual cases or take sides regarding specific evidence, it highlighted the necessity of upholding liberal rule-of-law values. The statement noted that suspicion of a crime alone does not make a detention lawful. Under the Hungarian constitution, criminal procedure laws, and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence, authorities must consider specific grounds for detention, such as flight risk, the danger of obstructing proceedings, or the risk of recidivism.