Commissioner for Human Rights 19/12/2012 Migrants' rights defenders are too often exposed to intimidation and abuse Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 19/12/2012 - Defamation, threats, verbal and physical attacks, administrative sanctions and judicial harassment are used to deter human rights defenders from working with migrants and from combating the rising xenophobia and racism in Europe. Perpetrators can be both state and non-state actors, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today. In several European countries, the rise of xenophobic and anti-migrant discourse has negatively impacted on the work of...

Parliamentary Assembly 19/12/2012 Museum of Liverpool wins 2013 Council of Europe Museum Prize Copyright 3XN Strasbourg, 19.12.2012 – The Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2013 has been awarded to the Museum of Liverpool (United-Kingdom) by the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The museum traces the social, economic and political history of a city which is one of the most socially diverse in Britain. According to the Committee, the museum has an outstanding capacity to get people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities involved and promotes in a strong, convincing form Council of Europe core values...

European Court of Human Rights 18/12/2012 Restriction of Internet access without strict legal framework amounts to violation of freedom of expression European Court of Human Rights . Strasbourg, 18 December 2012 - In today’s Chamber judgment in the case of Ahmet Yıldırım v. Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerned a court decision to block access to Google Sites, which hosted an Internet site whose owner was facing criminal proceedings for insulting the memory of Atatürk. As a result of the decision, access to all other sites hosted by the...

Parliamentary Assembly 17/12/2012 Freedom of expression should not depend on sexual orientation Strasbourg, 17.12.2012 – “The Russian Parliament should remove the consideration of a draft bill prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality among minors from its order of business,” said Håkon Haugli (Norway, SOC), Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Rapporteur on Tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. “Similar laws introduced so far at local and regional level, have led to arrests of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and human rights defenders in St Petersburg and other Russian cities....

Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) 17/12/2012 Anti-corruption body calls on Latvian institutions to fight corruption within their ranks Strasbourg, 17.12.2012 - The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption ( GRECO ) has published today its Fourth Round evaluation Report on Latvia. It focuses on the prevention of corruption of Members of Parliament, judges and prosecutors.   GRECO recognises that Latvia has implemented a clear and comprehensive framework for regulating conflicts of interest of public officials and that the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (Latvia’s anti-corruption agency) has used the law well in...

Parliamentary Assembly 13/12/2012 Death of former PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig: ‘Farewell to a great European’ Lluís Maria de Puig Strasbourg, 13.12.2012 - The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, this morning expressed his profound sadness at the death of Lluís Maria de Puig who presided over the Parliamentary Assembly from 2008 to 2010 and had been a member of it for twenty-three years.   'A fine companion and great friend has left us. On the Assembly’s behalf, I convey my most heartfelt sympathies to his widow, his two daughters and all who were dear to him.   Lluís Maria de Puig was...

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 13/12/2012 Anti-torture committee calls for rethink of Belgian prisons policy Strasbourg, 13.12.2012 – Europe’s main anti-torture watchdog has expressed serious concerns about overcrowding in Belgian prisons and a failure to properly manage recurring strikes by prison staff.   IIn a report published today, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) called on the Belgian authorities to take urgent and decisive measures to tackle these long-standing issues. The committee also called for national talks to help draw up a new prisons policy in...

European Court of Human Rights 12/12/2012 Judgment concerning alleged secret rendition of man suspected of terrorist ties European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg, 13 December 2012 - The European Court of Human Rights delivered a Grand Chamber judgment in the case of El-Masri v. “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” at a public hearing on 13 December 2012 at 11 a.m. in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg.   The Court held that “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” had been responsible for his torture and ill-treatment both in the country itself and after his transfer to the US authorities in the context of an extra-judicial...

Parliamentary Assembly 11/12/2012 FIFA governance under spotlight at PACE hearing in Paris Photo Gamma Strasbourg, 11.12.2012 – A Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly hearing on governance at the world football body FIFA took place in Paris on 19 December, attended by leading current or former members of the organisation as well as those who have sought reforms to encourage greater transparency. Participants at the hearing, organised by PACE’s Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, included: • Theo Zwanziger, a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee • Lord David Triesman, former Chairman of the English Football Association (to be...

Committee of Ministers 11/12/2012 Committee of Ministers: decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments Committee of Ministers Strasbourg, 11.12.2012 – The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published the decisions and resolutions adopted at its fourth special human rights meeting for 2012. More information on the execution process and on the state of execution in cases pending for supervision as well as important reference texts (including the new working methods) can be found on the website of the Committee of Ministers , on the special website of the Department for the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights...

Committee of Ministers / Parliamentary Assembly 10/12/2012 International Human Rights Day: Joint statement by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Foreign Minister of the Principality of Andorra and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, issued the following statement on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, on 10 December: “The Council of Europe works on a daily basis to protect human rights throughout Europe. Over the years, the Council has recorded many successes, first and foremost of which is the European Convention...

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 06/12/2012 Anti-torture committee criticizes "continued" ill treatment and prison overcrowding in Cyprus Strasbourg, 06.12.2012 – Persons held in police establishments in Cyprus continue to run a ‘serious risk’ of ill treatment, according to a just-released report by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ( CPT ).   The report – based on a visit to Cyprus by a CPT delegation in 2008 – notes insufficient progress since its previous visit in 2004. It calls on Cypriot...

Commissioner for Human Rights 06/12/2012 Nils Muižnieks: improvements needed in human rights protection in Ireland Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 6/12/2012 – “Several changes in the system for human rights protection are planned or under way in Ireland. The authorities should use this opportunity to strengthen this system and make it more compliant with international standards” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, publishing three letters addressed to the Ministers for Justice, Social Protection and of State.    “Long-awaited comprehensive asylum legislation is to be adopted early next year. This is an important...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 04/12/2012 Assembly President Jean-Claude Mignon in official visit to Morocco Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 04.12.2012 –Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will be making an official visit to Morocco from 5 to 7 December 2012 at the invitation of the Speakers of the two Chambers of Parliament.   In Rabat, meetings are planned with the Speakers of the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Councillors, the Head of Government, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, the Minister for Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development, the...

Commissioner for Human Rights 04/12/2012 Effective measures needed to eradicate ill-treatment of prisoners in Georgia Strasbourg, 4/12/2012 – “The Georgian authorities should address long-standing concerns about ill-treatment of prisoners and other detained persons by public officials and take effective steps to repair the system of accountability. Constant vigilance is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the absolute prohibition of torture. I intend to focus on these issues in my dialogue with the authorities, including during my next visit to Georgia” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, on today’s publication of his...

Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 04/12/2012 Overcrowding still major problem in Bulgarian prisons CPT says Strasbourg, 04.12.2012 - The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) today published the report on its visit to Burgas and Varna Prisons in Bulgaria in May 2012 , together with the response of the Bulgarian authorities .    The report stresses that overcrowding remains a major problem in the Bulgarian penitentiary system and that more generally the material conditions at Burgas and Varna Prisons are not acceptable. The CPT report...

Secretary General 02/12/2012 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Secretary General calls on governments to “assume responsibilities” through Council of Europe standards Strasbourg, 3 December 2012 – Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland called on governments today to use Council of Europe standards to protect and empower the millions affected by disability as he marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.   “This year’s theme of removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society is a reminder of how much needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities can live an independent and active...

Regional and minority languages 30/11/2012 Language diversity celebrated in “minorities’ song contest” Liet International Strasbourg, 30 November 2012 - Eleven European bands will battle for the title of best minority language song in the annual Liet International contest in Gijon, Spain on Saturday, 1 December.   Asturian, Basque, Breton, Catalan from Sardegna, Corsican, Friulian, Frisian, Gaelic, Low-German, Sámi and Udmurtian from the Russian Federation will feature at the contest, which is held under the patronage of Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland .   A conference on the use of music and culture to recover minority languages...

North-South Centre 30/11/2012 “The Arab Season: from change to challenges” at North-South Centre Lisbon Forum Strasbourg, 30 November 2012 - The Arab Spring and its legacy two years after: the Council of Europe North-South Centre, devotes the 19th edition of the Lisbon Forum, starting on Monday, 3 December, to the developments in the Arab countries of Northern Africa and the Middle East.   The debate will focus on the promotion of the Rule of Law through constitutional and justice system reforms, on the role of social media in the field of freedom of expression, on local democracy challenges, and on women's rights.   Deborah Bergamini, Chair of the Executive Committee...

Parliamentary Assembly 29/11/2012 PACE rapporteurs express concerns about freedom of assembly and expression in Azerbaijan Parliamentary Assembly Strasbourg, 29.11.2012 – The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), visited Baku from 26 to 28 November 2012 in order to assess the progress made by the country towards fulfilling its obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe.   During their meetings with the authorities, the co-rapporteurs expressed concern at the recently adopted amendments to the Criminal Code and the...