Győr Court of Appeal Clears Actress Dorottya Udvaros, Greenpeace Activists in Bird Net Protest
GYŐR, Hungary – The Győr Court of Appeal has definitively dismissed charges against actress Dorottya Udvaros and fellow Greenpeace activists involved in a 2021 protest where they removed a protective net from a building slated for demolition. The ruling concludes a four-year legal battle stemming from the incident.
The activists’ action aimed to allow chimney swallows returning from Africa to nest under the eaves of the building, located in [location not specified in original text]. The investor intended to demolish the structure, a process hindered by the presence of nesting protected birds.
Initially, the Sopron District Court found 11 of the 12 defendants, including Udvaros, guilty in autumn 2023, assessing damages at HUF 102,800. Though, the court subsequently overturned those convictions, noting the value of the damaged netting-even including potential repair costs-equaled the value of two swallow eggs.
The Győr Court of Appeal upheld this second-instance judgment, determining the activists’ actions did not constitute a crime. The court reasoned that the activists’ behavior posed no danger to society and that the preservation of natural values takes precedence over property protection.
Greenpeace hailed the decision as a victory for environmental protection, stating that natural values are a common property.