Hungarian human rights organizations have expressed significant concern regarding the recent appointment of Daria Bojarskaja, a former interpreter for Vladimir Putin, to a prominent position within the international election monitoring body ahead of Hungary's decisive elections next month. Bojarskaja, who previously worked within Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and interpreted high-level meetings—including the one between Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump—now serves as a senior advisor for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) and coordinates the organization's efforts regarding the oversight of the Hungarian elections.

The worry among human rights groups, including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, centers around the potential implications of Bojarskaja's role. They warn that her position could hinder civil society actors and human rights activists from freely sharing information. This concern is particularly heightened due to the close ties between the Orbán government in Hungary and Moscow. Activists fear that Bojarskaja’s connections may create an environment where dissent and transparency are stifled, countering the very objectives of electoral monitoring.

Márta Pardavi, the chairperson of the Budapest-based Hungary Helsinki Committee, has urged the OSCE PA to consider Bojarskaja's immediate removal from her tasks related to monitoring the Hungarian elections. The involvement of someone closely associated with Putin's administration raises serious questions about the integrity and independence of the election monitoring process, and the human rights community remains vigilant about the potential negative effects on the upcoming elections.