Hungary: Follow-up to HUN38909.E of 23 April 2002 on whether homosexuals are prohibited from military service (May 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 3 June 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | HUN39277.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Hungary: Follow-up to HUN38909.E of 23 April 2002 on whether homosexuals are prohibited from military service (May 2002), 3 June 2002, HUN39277.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be3e30.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In correspondence dated 23 May 2002, an attorney with the Hungarian Helsinki Committee who also works with the legal aid service of the Hatter Society for Gays and Lesbians in Hungary provided the following comment on homosexuality as a ground for exemption from military service:
As soldiers tend to be silent about their sexual orientation, regarding the circumstances, we do not know about many cases. The Jury of Labour, however, did reach [a] positive decision in one case, declaring that the sexual orientation of a man working in the armed forces[s] (the police in this case) does not have anything to do with his work, and [reinstating] him into his position from which he had been dismissed.
With respect to the possibility for police officers to keep records of the homosexuality of individuals they arrest, interview or protect, the attorney stated that police officers were not allowed to keep such records and did not know of any cases of the kind (23 May 2002). However, the attorney made reference to cases of police raids in bars and gay meeting places where officers recorded the personal data of the individuals present at these locations, but was unaware of cases where police officers used the data collecting during these raids (ibid.).
According to the attorney, there are neither homosexual organizations nor specific programmes offered by existing non-governmental organizations which aim at improving relations between homosexuals and the police (ibid.). However, he referred to the publication of pamphlets by unnamed organizations describing the rights of individuals in dealings with the police (ibid.).
This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Hungarian Helsinki Committee [Budapest]. 23 May 2002. Correspondence from an attorney.
