On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch addressed a letter to France’s new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, urging him to prioritize human rights when crafting national and international policies. The 2024 France parliamentary elections were marred by a rise in racist and xenophobic rhetoric, alongside extreme political polarization. According to a report published by the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH),…
The Council of Europe has announced the winners of the ‘Human Rights: Camera Action!’ competition, which celebrates the creativity and commitment of young photo and video creators dedicated to human rights. The competition, which attracted a large number of entries from across the organisation’s 46 member states, culminated in a ceremony on the margins of the 12th World…
The Council of Europe has extended comprehensive support to the Republic of Moldova in strengthening human rights protections for refugees and migrants, particularly for those in vulnerable situations, such as women and children displaced from Ukraine by Russia’s large-scale military aggression. This was the conclusion of the international conference “Protecting the Human Rights of Displaced Persons: Current Challenges…
In a new opinion the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) gives member states recommendations on managing prosecution services to ensure their independence and impartiality. The independence and impartiality of prosecutors are crucial for the proper functioning of justice systems and the rule of law, and for public trust in justice. The opinion focuses on the central…
This week’s conference of the Journalists Matter campaign revealed increasing levels of threats against journalists. Participants like Wim Hoonhout, team leader and coordinator of the Netherlands Central Police, called for more safeguards to protect journalists from threats – on and offline – which he said have increased over the last six years. The Dutch Police regularly meets and cooperates with…
The Council of Europe is hosting a conference, The Protection of Journalists – a multistakeholder dialogue, to highlight the importance of media safety, given the key democratic function of journalists during crises, elections, demonstrations, and in conflict zones. As indicated in the 2024 report Media Freedom in Europe, from the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of…
With the outbreak of the full-scale war, the judicial system in Ukraine faced unprecedented challenges, especially in communities adjacent to a frontline where courts ceased to operate. In response, an ad hoc procedure was introduced for the duration of the war which stipulates the suspension of periodic judicial reviews of detention legality and its automatic…
The human rights monitoring carried out in Ukraine by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) since Russia’s military attack on 24 February 2022 was the topic of discussion at an event held during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on 4 October 2024. “By collecting and analysing evidence of the appalling human rights violations…
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed deep concern at “the disproportionately harsh treatment” faced by Julian Assange and said this has had a “dangerous chilling effect” which undermines the protection of journalists and whistleblowers around the world. Approving a resolution based on a report by Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), the Assembly said Mr Assange’s treatment…
In recent weeks, a Ukrainian scientist has found himself at the center of a whirlwind of allegations. Dr. Oleg Maltsev, a prominent researcher and scientist, was detained in Odessa on September 12 under charges of leading an illegal paramilitary formation, sparking a heated debate across Ukrainian media and on Telegram channels. The Security Service of…
