An open letter to Orbán
n-ost calls on the Hungarian Minister of the Interior, Sándor Pintér, to withdraw threats of criminal prosecution against journalist Attila Mong for breach of privacy pertaining to the publication of a leaked letter from EU Commission President Barroso.
The Hungarian Interior Ministry has alleged that the letter in question, written on December 19th, 2011, in which Barroso criticizes new Hungarian central bank legislation as incompatible with EU legislation, should not have been published, as it constitutes a violation of privacy regarding the prime minister’s correspondence. Interior Minister Pintér is reported to have said that the journalist, Attila Mong, could face several years' imprisonment for this offence.
Access Info Europe, the Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe (n-ost), and the South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) expressed their concerns today about these threats of criminal charges, and the chilling repercussions such threats will likely have on freedom of expression in Hungary.
These organizations note that, while the head of the newly established National Agency for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Attila Péterfalvi, has refused to comment on the case, the former commissioner for data protection, András Jóri, has contradicted the interior minister by saying that the contents of the letter were of public interest and therefore not subject to privacy laws. Recognized experts in the field of data protection have likewise stressed that Mong has not broken any laws by publishing the letter.
“The threatened prosecution of Attila Mong will create an atmosphere of fear and cause great unease among journalistic sources in future," commented Christian Mihr of n-ost. “It is simply not credible that a letter between the EU and the head of the Hungarian government about whether new laws meet EU standards is a private matter,” added Helen Darbishire of Access Info Europe.
These three organizations have previously criticized Hungary's new constitution for undermining free access to information, and have raised concerns about the country’s media policies. They note that the newly founded National Agency for Data Protection does not enjoy the same independence or rights as the former office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Data Protection, which was abolished with the passing of Hungary’s new constitution.
Contact: Christian Mihr and Andreas Bock, Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe (n-ost)