Nils Muiznieks

Human Rights Commissioner’s report critical of Hungary’s media freedom

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has welcomed today the report on Hungary by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Mr. Nils Muižnieks, criticising the country’s bad media freedom records and calling for changes to the media law. Judit Acsay, the Vice-President of the EFJ affiliate in Hungary (MÚOSZ), says “the report accurately summarises the state of media freedom in Hungary. I hope this will put pressure on the government to push for changes.” The report published today (16/12/2014) after Mr. Muižnieks’s visit to Hungary in July 2014 has examined various aspects relating to human rights…

Ten-thousand participants march accross the Elisabeth bridge during an anti-government rally against the goverment's new tax plan for the introduction of the internet tax next year in Budapest on October 28, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK

EFJ Urges Hungarian Government to Abandon “Anti-democratic” Plan on Internet Tax

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has called on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to abandon his “anti-democratic plan” to tax internet use and to start listening to his people and understand the reality of the developments in the media. “It is very unwise and unrealistic of Orban’s government to think that the internet tax is of any relevance in today’s digital age,” said Mogens Blicher Bjerrregård, EFJ President. “This is evident from the tens of thousands protesters who showed up on Tuesday night’s protest.” According to the organiser of the protest, following the first rally on Sunday 26 October, the…