Civilization coalition stands up for Oltalom Association and against the harassment by authorities!
The member organizations of the Civilization coalition protest against the harassment of the Oltalom Charitable Association and the Hungarian Evangelical Brotherhood (HEB). The signatory civil society organizations stand up for the association and the religious community, which has been arbitrarily deprived of its church status, and condemn the governmental attacks which they have been facing for years.
HEB and the association have been providing services to vulnerable people in difficult circumstances through their charitable work for decades. They are involved in caring for a wide range of vulnerable groups - disadvantaged children, the poor, the homeless, the sick - distributing food and clothing, running homes for the elderly, temporary shelters and health services.
All this in the face of an earlier ruling by the Strasbourg court which stated that HEB was unlawfully deprived of its church status in 2011. This arbitrary measure of the Hungarian state (and the related loss of income) is the main reason for the huge public debt that HEB institutions and the association accumulated.
The raid this Monday (21.02.2022) was not the first time that a civil society organization has been subjected to unjustified and intimidating actions by the authorities, with searches being ordered and dozens of inspectors showing up at its headquarters, while the requested documents could be obtained without such spectacular action or were already available to the authorities.
Veronika Móra, Director of Ökotárs - Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, said:
"Seven years ago, we ourselves were victims of a similar spectacular action by the authorities. As it was proved then, so it is clear now that the main aim of the action is harassment and intimidation. But civil society organizations work for the common good, and people’s will to help cannot be broken by any political act. We wish the Oltalom Association perseverance and strength to endure these events."
The civil society organizations that make up the Civilization coalition call on the Hungarian government to take steps to remedy the unjust legal situation and to restore the status of HEB in line with the European Court of Human Rights' judgment, allowing them to pay their public debts. It is our common interest that Hungarian charities and churches are treated equally and recognised as partners by the state and that their work in helping people in difficult circumstances is valued and supported.
22.02.2022
Civilization coalition
Signatory member organizations:
Amnesty International Magyarország
Állítsuk meg a Gyilkos Robotokat kampány aktivista hálózata
Artemisszió Alapítvány
Civil Kollégium Alapítvány
EJHA – emberi jogi nevelők hálózata
Emberség Erejével
Eötvös Károly Intézet
Greenpeace Magyarország Egyesület
Háttér Társaság
Haver Alapítvány
Levegő Munkacsoport
Magyar helsinki Bizottság
Magyarországi Európa Társaság
MASZK Egyesület (Szeged)
Menedék - Migránsokat Segítő Egyesület
MENŐK Egyesület
Ökotárs Alapítvány
TASZ
Transparency International Magyarország
ULE
Further signatories:
Test- és Lélekszépítő Karitatív Alapítvány
