1988. április (71-108. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
j « Hungárián ®gMÍ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 82/1988 (E) 15th April, 1988 "Independent Legal Aid Service11 In the májőrity of totalitarian countries one of the first steps taken by oppositionist political movements is to form a group wbich observes, registers and documents abuses of the law and despotic measures, so as to aid the victims of these abuses. These independent and harassed organisations call themselves such things as Helsinki Watch groups, Humán Rights groups and Legal Aid Committees. However in Hungary opposition activity did nőt work in the same way, although the independent press tried to publicise abuses of the law and the Foundation fór the Poor (SZETA) attempted to give legal advice, there was no group whieh specialised in legal aid. Now, on Wednesday April 13th, an Independent Legal Aid Service has started in a priváté fiat in Budapest, it wants to help a population which lives in a country where, according to their declaration, there is no rule of law. The objective of the Service is to document individual cases where the law has been infringed and to draw lessons from such cases; they can be contacted two aftemoons a week, either in person or on the telephoné. The founders of the Service - Dr Gábor Demszky, Ferenc Kőszeg, Imre Mécs, Tibor Philipp and Ottília Solt - issued their founding declaration on February 6th, in which they state their wish to participate in those social endeavours, the ultimate aim of which is to create a democratic constitutional state. They cannot edd people officially as they have no influence or power bút they want to promote the power of open action and publicity. They will give legal advice, help to draft documents, accompany clients to their trials, help to solve injustices at the scene where they occurred and if necessary ask fór statements from the competent offices and institutes. The Service is free and its organisers promise that they will take no action without first Consulting their clients. The declaration states the type of injustices with which they wish to deal: "Pro- ceedings which are based on regulations which infringe humán rights; proceedings and measures against which citizens have no legal redress and decisions which discriminate against individuals and groups because of their opinions, social status or ancestry". That is to say violations of freedom of speech and conscience, of the rights to associate, assemble and to exchange information, proceedings which restrict travel and work abroad, cases which are instituted due to so- called incitement or public offences, the imprisonment of conscientious objectors and of vagrants; people with no work-place stamp in their identity cards should nőt be treated as criminals. The Service wants to defend those who are dismissed from work because of their political beliefs or fór reasons of racial discrimin- ation (eg. because they are gypsies). The Service will, if necessary, help their clients by petitioning and other political actions or even by informing intemational organisations. Finally the declaration asks support from the population. It asks them to inforra the Service if they hear of any injustices and to support the Independent Legal Aid Service’s practical work. ÁO-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detai! as long as the source is acknowledged.
