The government is wilfully denying people in Hungary access to vital information about human rights abuses in Hungary and around the world
Reacting to a November 29 news report by Hungarian daily Nepszava that MTVA, the Hungarian government controlled news agency, in internal communication earlier this month, ordered its staff not to report on statements from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, Dávid Vig, Director of Amnesty International Hungary, said:
“It is scandalous that Hungarian state media is censoring the vital information that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch publish. This a further blow to media freedom and an additional restriction of NGOs in Hungary.
“The government is wilfully denying people in Hungary access to vital information about human rights abuses in Hungary and around the world.”
Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said:
“Any ban by Hungary state media to disseminate human rights reporting by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International would be unacceptable and is not worthy of an EU member state.
“It would be another example of the Hungarian government’s steps to undermine media freedom and attempts to silence and interfere with the vital work of civil society organizations.”
