U.N.'s Zeid says Hungary's new laws are 'blatantly xenophobic'

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein outgoing United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights attends the Human Rights Council one day after the U.S. announced their withdraw at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland June 20, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

GENEVA (Reuters) - New Hungarian laws that criminalise people for helping asylum-seekers are shameful and blatantly xenophobic, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said in a statement on Thursday.

"The constant stoking of hatred by the current government for political gain has led to this latest shameful development, which is blatantly xenophobic and runs counter to European and international human rights standards and values,” he said.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)