NGO appeals to Hungarian President over hate speech bill

The human rights watchdog body Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) on Tuesday appealed in a letter to President László Sólyom to utilise his constitutional right and not sign the "hate speech" bill passed by Parliament Monday evening and seek a preliminary review from the Constitutional Court.

TASZ said it objects to the bill for its disproportionate restriction of freedom of speech as well as for professional and legal policy considerations.

Legal expert Attila Simon, who was approached by Magyar Hírlap, said the sphere of violating privacy rights raises a number of problems and only practice will show whether this act is satisfactory in this form or whether it can be regarded as overregulation. Simon said great responsibility will fall on judges, as they will have to decide which expressions are viewed as insulting and which are not.

The above story is just one of more than two dozen published today by Hungary Around the Clock, the most comprehensive source of daily English-language news about Hungary. For a free trial of HATC, click here. Hungarian news sources include Népszabadság; Magyar Hírlap; Világgazdaság; Napi Gazdaság; Magyar Nemzet; Népszava; Kossuth Rádió news and Hungarian television's nightly news broadcast.

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