MTVA: Jobbik loses lawsuit against MTI

The Kuria, Hungary’s supreme court, has ruled in a binding decision that Hungarian news agency MTI’s national press release service (OS) had the right to refuse publication of a statement released by Jobbik, MTVA said.

The Kuria’s ruling confirmed once again that the OS service has the right to refuse to publish any statement that may breach the privacy rights of an individual, and that MTI was entitled to editorial freedom, the statement said.

According to the court’s ruling, provisions of the Act on Media Services and Mass Communication related to the national news agency do not guarantee anyone carte-blanche to demand publication of a specific statement via its OS service.

MTVA’s statement noted that the opposition Democratic Coalition has lost seven lawsuits against Hungarian public media in connection with the way MTI handled press releases.

Under the Kuria’s most recent decision, Jobbik must pay the full legal costs to the defendant, Duna Mediaszolgaltato Nonprofit Zrt.