The National Sovereignty Protection Act, which was passed by the Hungarian parliament last week, gives Budapest “draconian tools,” the US Department of Justice said on Wednesday.
The law “arms the Hungarian government with draconian tools that can be used to intimidate and punish those whose views are not shared by the ruling party,” the State Department said in a statement.
The law provides for the creation of a separate agency to study and monitor the risks of political interference. The ruling Fidesz party believes the law will protect the country from unlawful political interference from abroad.
Members of political parties or groups participating in elections face up to three years in prison for receiving foreign funding.
“The sovereignty of Hungary is violated – and this also poses an increased risk to national security – if political power falls into the hands of persons or organizations dependent on any foreign power, organization or person,” the bill states.
According to the State Department, the law “could be used to subject Hungarian citizens, businesses, and organizations to investigations without judicial oversight, even if they had no contact or support from a foreign government or foreign entity.”
The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner last month called on Hungary to delay passage of the law, saying it provided wide latitude for investigations with little democratic oversight.
