Criminal conviction of Hungarian journalist sets dangerous precedent and can further limit media freedom, warns OSCE representative Désir

VIENNA, 9 March 2018 – “Journalistic work should never be criminalized,” OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today in reaction to the conviction of Hungarian journalist Gergely Nyilas, who reported about  migration. 

In August 2015, Nyilas, an investigative journalist at the online news site Index.hu, entered Hungary in disguise, claiming that he was an asylum seeker from Kyrgyzstan. After he revealed himself to the authorities, he was accused of forging public documents and misleading the authorities. On 6 March, a court in the city of Győr issued a final ruling convicting the journalist. In its decision the court acknowledged the public role of journalists, but ordered the journalist to cover the costs of the lawsuit.

The journalist said his goal was to inform about the Hungarian authorities’ treatment of asylum seekers. He emphasized that in spite of multiple requests, the media were banned from accessing refugee centres in the country, and he had no other means of collecting the necessary information.   

“Journalists have a key role in reporting on issues of public interest such as the refugee crisis, and it is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure that they can access information and carry out their work freely,” Désir emphasized.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.