The European Commission announced today that it will take Hungary to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for possible violations of the rights to privacy and freedom of expression and association over a new law that could allow authorities to investigate and prosecute people accused of undermining the country's sovereignty.
The "Law on the Protection of Sovereignty" came into force in December. It created a government body with the power to collect information on any groups or individuals who benefit from foreign funding and influence public debate.
The Hungarian secret services can assist in the authorities' investigations. Anyone convicted of breaking the law can be imprisoned for up to three years.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government says the law is designed to prevent political parties from receiving foreign funding for election campaigns, but opponents have compared it to Russia's "foreign agents" law, which deems anyone who receives financial support from abroad, including journalists and advocacy group, agent of another country.
They believe the vague language of the Hungarian law can be used to arbitrarily target critics of the government, including NGOs and journalists.
In June, the body in charge of defense against foreign influence launched an investigation into the Hungarian branch of the anti-corruption organization Transparency International. The media was also a target.
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