1988. július (161-183. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
i', « HIÍK&4RIAN. (^) ©CTOBWU> ,J IJfií?f3)i5r“"4*^1 ©ism£ . Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) 171/1988 (E) . - 15th July, 1988 The Supreme Court Dismisses the YDA’s Appeal This morning the Hungárián Republic’s Supreme Court gave its final judgement in the libel case initiated by five organisers of the Young Democrats Alliance against the Hungárián News Agency (MTI) and the paper Magyar Hírlap (Hungárián News). According to the plaintiffs the MTI in its April 8th publication falsely accused them of establishing an illegal organisation and the Magyar Hírlap commentary contained untrue statements. The defend&nts did nőt accept a request fór press corrections. In the court of the first instance - in May - the Budapest High Court did nőt acknowledge the YDA’s reasons fór suing. The five organisers’ law suit vas dismissed without any judgement on the merits of the case, the reason given was that the MTI could nőt be held responsible as its announcement was issued on police orders and the Magyar Hírlap did nőt print facts bút an opinion which cannot be the grounds fór a libel case. The case reached the Supreme Court as a result of the YDA’s appeal, it was presided over by Br Katalin Imre on Monday - July 11th - bút the final decisión was postponed until today. In the meantime the Hungárián Socialist Workers Party’s Central Committee examined the legal regulation which deals with the right to assemble and unité and János Berecz announced that a new law of association vili be passed by Parliament in the autumn. The proposed law will nőt be a subject fór social debate and he added that there will no longer be any legal loopholes. Today the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and - except fór a small modification - upheld the decision of the first instance. The modification meant that the YDA - as an organisation - does nőt have to pay legal costs as in accordance with the first decision the court of appeal did nőt acknowledge it as a legal body either and does nőt recognise its reasons fór suing. The Supreme Court decision says that in order to establish a national organisation, although according to the law permission is unnecessary, state permission must be sought before it becomes a legal body; this is allegedly made clear in the provision of law. The YDA see this reasoning as mistaken and retrograde, it goes back to the Stalinist principle that "nothing is allowed without special permission", the very principle which was judged harshly at the Soviet Party Conference. The YDA believe that many other points in the decision were alsó mistaken and vish to submit a protest on legal grounds against the decision. They continue their activities and were nőt surprisea by the outcome only at the fact that when they left the court building at 11 am today people in state registered cars took photographs of them. í «; fíj $ M $ Subscribers can use or quotc the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
