Concern at Hungary’s new anti-LGBTIQ+ law

We are deeply concerned at legislation passed this week in Hungary that results in arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions on the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and privacy, including when advocating for their human rights in events such as Pride parades.

The law also authorises the use of surveillance measures, including facial recognition technology, to identify and issue fines against participants in such events. To protect the right to privacy and non-discrimination, authorities should avoid using facial recognition technology to identify those peacefully participating in an assembly.

Public surveillance measures should be limited to those strictly necessary and proportionate for achieving legitimate objectives and should never be deployed in a discriminatory manner through targeted surveillance of peaceful assemblies of LGBTIQ+ persons or other marginalised groups.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on the Hungarian authorities to repeal this law and other legislation that discriminates against LGBTIQ+ individuals. He also urges them to combat the high levels of intolerance, discrimination, bullying and harassment related to sexual orientation and gender identity, faced by children in particular, in line with Hungary’s international human rights obligations.