Strasbourg Court: The fines against activists encouraging invalid votes in the "child protection" referendum were unlawful

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Hungarian authorities unlawfully restricted the freedom of expression of Amnesty International Hungary and the Háttér Society in 2022. The organizations encouraged invalid voting during a referendum related to a controversial law perceived as discriminatory against LGBTQ+ individuals. Following the campaign, they faced significant fines from the National Election Office, which claimed the campaign violated constitutional objectives. The Hungarian Supreme Court found that the organizations acted within their rights, but not all fines were annulled. The ECHR concluded that the sanctions were based on vague regulations, violating the right to free expression as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.