Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet)
The Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) is the operational body of the Foundation for the Protection of Minority Rights established in 2012, in Budapest. Since its establishment, the Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) has been providing legal aid, professional (legal), and related financial support to Hungarian communities abroad. The organization’s goal is to represent, through their partner attorneys, citizens of the neighboring countries belonging to Hungarian ethnic minority who have suffered violations of their rights due to their Hungarian identity both on the national and international fora. The organization endeavors to offer effective legal assistance, through their partner attorneys, to anyone beyond the borders who experiences disadvantages due to their Hungarian identity. Beyond individual assistance, the rationale for this legal aid service lies in the fact that addressing individual rights violations can improve the overall situation of the community, as results achieved in individual cases can have an impact on the legislative and enforcement environment. The Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) has partner attorneys in all Hungarian regions beyond the borders who provide legal representation for the affected individuals. The Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) also supports law students, as well as students of other social sciences, who are dedicated to the protection of national minorities. To this end, the Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) annually organizes a summer university for law students, aspiring lawyers, and young individuals interested in minority protection. The founding director of the organization was Dr. Laura Gyeney from 2012 to 2015, followed by György Csóti, and from 2022 again Dr. Laura Gyeney leads the Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet). The Board of Trustees of the Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights (Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet) is primarily composed of professors from the Pázmány Péter Catholic University Faculty of Law and Political Sciences.