A joint statement by MEPs Tibor Szanyi and István Ujhelyi, of the Socialist Party, and Csaba Molnár and Péter Niedermüller, of DK, states that they wish to express solidarity with all civil organisations “under fire by the Orbán regime”.

Prime Minister “Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz government want to eliminate by force one of the last democratic lines of defence in Hungary, and this must be loudly and resolutely prevented,” the social democrat MEPs’ statement said.

The Sakharov Prize is granted annually to recognise outstanding achievement in the defence of human rights, freedom of expression and democratic values.

The nomination for the prize requires at least 40 supporting signatures from MEPs. The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) held a hearing on the situation of democracy, constitutionality and basic rights in Hungary on Tuesday.

MEPs of the ruling Fidesz party criticised ALDE for not inviting any government representative to present its position.

On Sept. 8, police searched the Budapest offices of the Ökotárs and DemNet foundations under suspicion of embezzlement and unauthorised financial activities.

These two foundations are members of a consortium that carries out the distribution of Norway Grants in Hungary.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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