By: Gábor Hertelendy / unser-mitteleuropa
The Executive Director of the National Legal Protection Service (NJSZ), lawyer Tamás Gaudi-Nagy, told Magyar Nemzet:
– On Sunday I posted my own photo report on social networks and the reports of the Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet and the Hungarian news agency MTI, which reported on the demonstrations against Budapest Pride the day before.
A few hours later, Facebook blocked my page and made it inaccessible on the grounds of a violation of Community Principles, although no specific violation was stated; there was no such violation
– Tamás Gaudi-Nagy was one of those who gave a counter-demonstration and a speech on Andrássy avenue organized by the association “European Patriots Unite”, and then another counter-demonstration organized by the Budaházy brothers on Fővám Square.
Tamás Gaudi-Nagy is demanding 100 million forints (approx. 280,000 euros) punitive damages from Facebook if his social networking site is not restored immediately.
– I gave Facebook twenty-four hours to reactivate my page as my posts did not contain hate speech or violate any principles. If this does not happen, I will file a lawsuit against the operator of the social network to restore my site and claim damages of 100 million forints (approx. 280,000 euros)
– explained the lawyer, adding that his social networking site, which has 20,000 followers, has been operating for 10 years and is considered significant among Hungarian legal organizations and public figures (for comparison: the Soros-like Society for Fundamental Rights has 60,000 followers, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee 40,000).
Tamás Gaudi-Nagy also pointed out that Facebook is not the first company to use double standards in the arbitrary judging of opinions, tracking posts with patriotic content and public figures who advocate traditional values. Previously, the social networking site of the party leader “Mi Hazánk” (“Our Homeland”), László Toroczkai, with 170,000 followers, was blocked; Toroczkai has since won a lawsuit against Facebook in the first instance.
Because Tamás Gaudi-Nagy was also defending two Transylvanian Hungarian activists, István Beke and Zoltán Szőcs, who were innocently convicted of “terrorism” by a Romanian court in 2018, Facebook removed his post and blocked it for 30 days.
According to the lawyer, more and more nationally engaged public figures will face this in the near future as the elections approach, and it is therefore inevitable that Facebook will be regulated by law to protect freedom of expression in Hungary.
Source: Magyar Nemzet