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Need to halt transfers of asylum seekers to Greece: Commissioner Hammarberg intervenes in the Strasbourg Court

[01/09/10 11:45] “Asylum seekers, including persons transferred under the ‘Dublin Regulation’, face extremely harsh conditions in Greece” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in a hearing today before the Strasbourg Court concerning the case of an Afghan asylum seeker returned from Belgium to Greece. In his first-ever oral intervention as a third party before the European Court of Human Rights, Commissioner Hammarberg provided his observations on major issues concerning refugee protection in Greece, including asylum procedures and human rights safeguards, as well as asylum seekers’ reception and detention conditions. (more)
   Link to the third party intervention
   Link to the video of the hearing


Forced divorce and sterilisation – a reality for many transgender persons
[31/08/10 10:00] The rights of transgender persons are still ignored or violated. Stronger actions are needed to eradicate discrimination against them” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, publishing today his latest human rights comment. “Transgender persons face obstacles in obtaining legal recognition of their preferred gender. Some Council of Europe member states still have no provision at all for official recognition, leaving transgender people in a legal limbo. Worse, most member states still use medical classifications which impose the diagnosis of mental disorder on transgender persons.”  (more)  
Read the Human Rights Comment

Photography: Daphne Channa Horn
Refugee children should have a genuine chance to seek asylum
[24/08/10 10:30] “The asylum policies in Europe largely ignore children among refugees. Governments should better protect them” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, publishing today his latest human rights comment. “Migrant children are often not listened to and rather treated as if they were possessions belonging to their parents. It is often forgotten that they could have their own reasons for seeking protection.” (more)  
Read the Human Rights Comment
Read the Human Rights Comment in Turkish

Previous news

ON THE COMMISSIONER'S AGENDA

16/09  Presentation of the Quarterly Report 2/2010 to the Ministers’ Deputies

28/09  Meeting with Dutch Senate Standing Committee on Justice (The Hague)

30/09  Seminar on Roma rights at the ABF - Workers’ Educational Association (Stockholm)

FILM
Commissioner in action for human rights


EXHIBITION
Andrei D. Sakharov: Alarm and Hope