Hungary: CFWIJ Condemns The Wrongful Conviction Of Journalist Julia Halasz
Location: Hungary
Date: May 31, 2021
Julia Halasz, a correspondent for the news website 444, was convicted of criminal defamation charges on May 6. The appellate court in Budapest upheld the earlier verdict of a lower court issued on November 12, 2020. The journalist alleged that a city district councilor, Laszlo Szabo, violently attacked her in May 2017 during event coverage. The journalist was accused of taking unauthorized pictures of the event.
Laszlo Szabo reportedly snatched her microphone and forcibly pushed her out of the building. She filed a police complaint about the criminal proceedings against the city councilor, but police closed the investigation on October 5, 2017, citing lack of evidence. CFWIJ is dismayed by the latest court decision that upholds the unjust conviction, which will remain on Julia’s criminal record for three years. We demand the Hungarian judicial authorities review the case proceedings and ensure a fair judgment rather than penalizing the journalist.
The charges against Julia originate from May 5, 2017, when she wrote an article revealing the harassment she experienced from Laszlo Szabo. Julia stated in her testimony that she was sitting in the lecture hall when she was approached by three men asking her to leave. They claimed she was unauthorized to take pictures at the event. After the journalist was allowed back into the forum, she noticed other journalists snapping pictures with their cell phones, so she took a few pictures, too. When Julia left the lecture hall to take a phone call, she was followed by Laszlo Szabo. The councilor prohibited the journalist from reentering, despite her pleas to collect her equipment. He then snatched the phone from her hands and aggressively ordered her off the premises. The journalist recounts that Laszlo forcibly pulled her out of the building by her arm, surrounded by his colleagues. Julia was told that her phone would only be returned if she showed them her camera roll. After Julia announced that the police were on their way, Laszlo deleted the photos from her phone and returned to the event.
On November 12, 2020, Julia was convicted of defamation charges. Editor-in-chief of 444, Peter Uj, shared his perspective on the court verdict calling the proceeding “absurd”. Peter claims the court did not look into the video evidence that proved the lack of provocation from Julia. Most of the witnesses were either friends of the councilor or members of his party. Among those who testified, only one person was unrelated to Laszlo. The editor-in-chief said the news outlet supports Julia in her stance and amidst the harassment claims. Peter also raised concerns over the unfair police investigation into Julia's complaint since they did not question Laszlo.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands Hungarian judicial authorities review their verdict and ensure a transparent investigation of the matter. Prosecuting a woman journalist instead of holding the perpetrator accountable is a dangerous precedent that threatens the free press and the freedom of speech. We offer our support to Julia Halasz and hope the investigation will overturn the charges in her favor.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.