U.S. Warns Hungary against Stifling Civil Society
The United States on Thursday warned Hungary against trying to muzzle civil society groups,following controversial police raids on two foreign-backed organizations.
"These police raids appear to be aimed at suppressing critical voices and restricting the space for civil society to operate freely," the US said at a gathering of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
It marks the second time in four months that Washington has brought up the alleged intimidation of Hungary's civil society at the pan-European body's permanent council.
"The United States again reminds Hungary of its OSCE commitments to human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law," said Kate Byrnes, U.S. deputy mission chief to OSCE's Permanent Council in Vienna.
Byrnes recalled that on September 8, Hungary's National Bureau of Investigation raided the offices of two non-governmental groups responsible for distributing aid from Norway without prior warning, seizing documents and laptops. She described the raids as "a show of intimidation".
Since June, 58 groups receiving Norwegian aid have been forced to hand over documents in a wide-ranging probe ordered by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing government.
The government says some of the organizations -- including civil rights groups, corruption watchdogs and an investigative journalism website -- are "tied to the political left-wing". Norway and the civil society groups refute the claim that they have a political agenda.
Source: Agence France Presse
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