Hungary’s controversial “Stop Soros” laws will be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The New York-based Open Society Foundations (OSF), which is run by US billionaire George Soros announced its decision to to file a complaint to the rights court, calling on it to “defend Hungarian democracy” and urge a repeal of the laws.
“There is only one thing this legislation will stop and that’s democracy,” said OSF president Patrick Gaspard.
As reported by FRANCE 24 online, the “Stop Soros” package targeting the Hungarian-born 88-year-old includes a 25% tax on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) deemed to be supporting or positively portraying migration.
A year’s prison term could also be handed to those convicted of assisting someone to enter the country illegally.
According to OSF lawyer Daniela Ikawa, the measures breach EU conventions on freedom of speech and association, and expose “a broad range of legitimate activities to the risk of criminal prosecution”.
The foundation moved a regional office from Budapest to Berlin last month citing what it called the “repressive” policies of nationalist firebrand Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
