Hungarian Helsinki Committee
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Mission Statement
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) is a leading human rights watchdog NGO based in Budapest, Hungary, founded in 1989. We believe in a fair and just world, where equality is not a theory for a few, but a lived experience for all.
About This Cause
WHO WE ARE: The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) is a leading human rights watchdog NGO based in Budapest, Hungary, founded in 1989. We defend and promote democratic values, the rule of law, and a vibrant civil society; the right to asylum and international protection for refugees and others in need; and the right to be free from torture or inhuman treatment and punishment and to be tried in a fair criminal justice system. Many of the issues the HHC works on are not addressed by other non-governmental organisations in Hungary. We work with a full-spectrum approach, combining several methods: • direct legal assistance; • strategic litigation; • field monitoring; • advocacy research & reporting; • communication; • training & capacity-building; • empowerment & social participation. Our high-quality work has been recognised by many prestigious human rights prizes and awards, including the Calouste Gulbenkian Human Rights Prize (Portugal), the 2019 Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award (Norway), as well as recognition of our leadership (e.g., the 2018 William D. Zabel Human Rights Award by Human Rights First, the 2019 Civil Rights Defender of the Year in Sweden, the 2019 class of Politico28). At the end of 2023, the HHC had a staff of 45 including employees and staff attorneys. WHO WE HELP: Our aim is to assist people, who are the most vulnerable: victims of human rights violations, asylum-seekers, refugees, stateless persons, detainees and victims of law enforcement violence. EIGHT OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT IN 2023: 1. Shaping regional human rights standards through litigation victories in European courts 2. Supporting Hungarians who suffered reprisals for standing up against injustice and human rights violations 3. Visitation barriers were reduced in prisons in Hungary 4. Reducing the unjustified detention of people with psycho-social disabilities 5. Defending judicial independence through advocacy 6. A leading role in achieving coordinated civil society action and concrete outcomes in EU funds monitoring committees 7. Vast outreach to beneficiaries (mainly refugees and detainees) and the public 8. Innovation in organisational development: launching the HHC's advisory youth council Please find further information about our activities in our 2023 annual report: https://helsinki.hu/en/about/annual-reports/