Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivers his annual "State of Hungary" speech in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. The inscription reads: "For us Hungary is the first!"
BUDAPEST, Hungary – The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner says Hungary is facing "many interconnected human rights challenges," including legislation targeting civic groups, backsliding on women's rights and the systematic detention of asylum-seekers.
Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic, who made a five-day visit to Hungary last week, also expressed concerns on Monday about the independence of the media and the judiciary.
The Hungarian government didn't react immediately to Mijatovic's statement.
Mijatovic said that "the space for the work of NGOs, human rights defenders and journalists critical of the government has become very narrow and restricted," and called on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to "reverse its worrying course" on human rights.
Legislation approved last year, for example, allows jail sentences for people convicted of aiding asylum-seekers.
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