News 2015
End of visit
Cyprus: More efforts needed to protect migrants and victims of economic crisis
“The readiness of Cyprus to receive asylum seekers in the context of the EU relocation scheme is promising. However, I remain seriously concerned about the grave shortcomings of the national asylum system. The authorities need to redouble their efforts to improve reception conditions and fully...
Statement
European countries’ migration and asylum policies have been disastrous
“Only this year more than 3 600 persons, many of them women and children, have lost their lives trying to reach safety and protection in Europe, fleeing war-torn or impoverished homelands. They were asylum seekers or migrants, but above all they were human beings who believed that their lives and...
Statement
Turkey should ensure the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism
I have been informed that the round-the-clock curfew declared in three neighbourhoods of Silvan on 2 November in the framework of anti-terror operations was lifted on 14 November, after 12 days. According to information provided by the Turkish authorities on my request, four curfews had already...
European Day
Protect children from sexual violence
Combating sexual abuses and sexual exploitation of children is a very important but challenging task. The problem is far too often under-estimated, and sometimes even overlooked.
Visit to Georgia
Georgia: further efforts needed in justice reform and combating intolerance
“I am heartened to see a number of positive achievements of the justice sector reforms, notably in the area of juvenile justice. It is also encouraging to see an overall decrease in recourse to pre-trial detention, although its use remains problematic in certain cases”, said the Commissioner...
Third party intervention
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes before the European Court of Human Rights on migration cases concerning Spain
Today, Commissioner Muižnieks has submitted written observations to the European Court of Human Rights in relation to two complaints concerning alleged pushbacks of migrants from the Spanish city of Melilla to Morocco. Basing his observations on his visit to Melilla in January 2015 as well as on...
Visit report
Eastern Ukraine: urgent need to guarantee freedom of movement and humanitarian access
Read the report “The conflict in the east of Ukraine has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and severe hardship for ordinary people living in the conflict-affected areas. All measures must be taken to prevent further deaths and provide urgent assistance to meet the basic needs of the...
Opinion article
Europe is spying on you
New York Times, 28/10/2015 - When Edward Snowden disclosed details of America’s huge surveillance program two years ago, many in Europe thought that the response would be increased transparency and stronger oversight of security services.
Letter
Commissioner Muižnieks urges the Czech authorities to adopt the bill on reparations for involuntary sterilisation of Roma women
“I regret the Czech government’s decision not to proceed with the adoption of the law allowing the granting of compensation to the Roma women who were victims of forced sterilisations,” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, making public a letter addressed to...
Country visit report
San Marino: media freedom and gender equality should be improved
Read the report “San Marino has made progress in promoting human rights in recent years. More sustained action is now needed to ensure media freedom and increase gender equality” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, releasing a report based on his visit to...
Country visit report
Slovakia: Roma, LGBTI persons, and persons with disabilities need more protection
“Slovakia has to step up its efforts aimed at combating and eradicating discrimination in law and practice, and take effective measures to improve the protection of Roma, persons with disabilities and LGBTI persons,” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,...
Country visit report
Germany's efforts to protect refugees are remarkable. Now it has to boost integration and improve fight against racism
“Germany’s considerable efforts in helping asylum-seekers and refugees, in particular Syrians, is commendable and the support of the vast majority of the population is heartening. However, progress is needed to improve reception conditions, speed up fair asylum procedures and accelerate refugee...
Visit to Belgium
Belgium: accelerate reception of asylum-seekers and improve inclusive education
"The overwhelmingly positive response of Belgian society to the arrivals of refugees and the decision of the authorities to increase the quota of Syrian refugees they accept for resettlement are encouraging signs. They suggest that Belgium is ready to play its part to ensure that Europe meets the...
Statement
Turkey should ensure immediate access to Cizre by independent observers
“I have been following with increasing alarm the escalation of violence in Turkey in recent weeks. I am particularly concerned about very distressing information I have received on developments in Cizre, a city of around 100 000 inhabitants in the Şırnak Province in South-Eastern Turkey” said...
Opinion article
Europe can do more to protect refugees
For many years European countries have been warned about the inadequacy of their immigration and asylum systems. Now, with increased refugee arrivals and more frequent tragedies, this system is showing all its weaknesses. But refugee arrivals are not the real cause of this collapse. The real...
Statement
OSCE Representative and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights condemn sentencing of journalist Khadija Ismayilova in Azerbaijan
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today condemned the sentencing of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova. “The charges brought against Ismayilova, and the trial, are unjust; they...
Statement
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance
30 August, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, should not be the only day when we remember the victims and reflect on the harsh reality that thousands of families of victims are faced with, waiting and hoping to find out the truth about their loved ones. Regrettably,...
Statement
Commissioner appalled by sentences against Leyla and Arif Yunus
I am appalled and saddened by Baku Court’s decision to sentence Leyla and Arif Yunus to respectively 8 years and a half and 7 years of prison. These sentences are a glaring illustration of the ongoing repression in Azerbaijan, where human rights defenders are selectively targeted with criminal...
Opinion article
The Srebrenica genocide: addressing the needs of the victims must be the priority
The Srebrenica genocide is one of the vilest episodes of Europe’s contemporary history. In just a few days in July 1995, around 8 300 boys and men were executed while 30 000 women, children and elderly persons were forcibly displaced. Twenty years on, the victims of that genocide are still...
Opinion
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights reiterates his call to bring Russian NGO legislation in line with European standards
Read the opinion “Russian NGO legislation falls short of European standards and must be revised to allow human rights defenders and NGOs in Russia to work in an environment conducive to performing their essential role in society,” said today Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils...
Country visit report
Serbia: Impunity for war crimes, discrimination and lack of media freedom hamper human rights progress
Read the report “Serbia has to show more resolve in addressing the legacy of the past, to improve the fight against discrimination and to establish a safer media environment” said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing the report based on his visit to the...
Visit to Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine: freedom of movement is vital to preventing isolation and favouring reintegration
“The continuing armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has a devastating impact on the life of communities in the vicinity of the contact line”, stated the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, following his visit to Ukraine from 29 June to 3 July. “Facilities such as...
Opinion article
You’re Better Than This, Europe
In an opinion editorial published today in the New York Times, the Commissioner calls European countries to improve their response to migration by adopting more humane policies. “During the last seven decades, European countries have painstakingly tried to rebuild a continent once shattered by...
Country visit report
Progress on human rights protection remains slow in Bulgaria
Read the report “Bulgaria has made some progress in strengthening human rights protection, but this remains slow and fragile, in particular as regard the rights of persons placed in institutions, the human rights of migrants and media freedom,” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe...
Visit to Slovak Republic
Slovakia should set ambitious targets for the social inclusion of Roma and persons with disabilities
“Although Slovakia has taken important measures to advance its human rights agenda, much more ambitious targets need to be set for eradicating the social exclusion and marginalisation of Roma and persons with disabilities. Also much more should be done to reinforce the effectiveness of the...
Visit to San Marino
San Marino should not jeopardize media freedom
"San Marino should reconsider its current plans to regulate the work of journalists and ensure full respect of the right to report in the public interest” stated Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, after his visit to the country on 9-10 June. The Commissioner was...
Issue paper
Reinforcing democratic oversight of security services cannot be further delayed
Read the issue paper “The current systems of oversight of national security services in Europe remain largely ineffective. Revelations over the last years about security operations which have violated human rights should have prompted reforms in this field, but progress has been disappointingly...
Opinion article
Sport cannot ignore human rights
On June 12 the first European Games begin in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. More than 6,000 athletes from 50 countries will run, fight and jump for medals, igniting the passions of millions of Europeans. We hope they will also stand up to halt the crackdown on human rights defenders occurring...
Letter
The Commissioner urges Serbia to shield the national Ombudsman from undue pressure
Today the Commissioner published a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Serbia, Mr Aleksandar VUČIĆ, in which he urges the government to fully respect the Serbian Ombudsman’s independence and guarantee a favourable environment for his work. “I am seriously concerned at reports indicating...
Letter
The Commissioner calls on the Ukrainian Parliament to secure the independence of the Ombudsman institution
Today the Commissioner published a letter addressed to Mr Volodymyr Groysman, Chairperson of the Parliament of Ukraine, expressing his concerns about the legislative proposal aimed at annulling the appointment of the current Ombudsman of Ukraine, Ms Lutkovska. While drawing attention of the...
Letter
The Commissioner addresses the French Senate on surveillance bill
Today the Commissioner has released a letter addressed to the members of the French Senate Commission which is discussing the surveillance bill. The Commissioner reiterates the importance of adopting a law which is compliant with human rights and thus urges the Senators to dispel the concerns...
Country visit report
Norway: people with disabilities and Roma need more attention
Read the report “Norway has a strong human rights architecture, but more attention should be given to the empowerment of people with disabilities and the full inclusion of Roma” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while publishing a report based on his...
Publication of an issue paper
Europe disregards intersex people’s right to self-determination and physical integrity
“Europeans remain largely unaware of the painful personal histories of intersex people and the human rights violations they face. Stereotypes and norms grounded on the binary female-male classification have led to unnecessary medical and surgical interventions on intersex infants and a climate of...
Visit to Germany
Germany should advance protection of asylum seekers and improve response to racism and extremism
“Germany has done a lot in the field of asylum in recent years, including launching three humanitarian admission programmes for Syrian refugees (concerning 20 000 individuals) and registering more than 200 000 asylum applications in 2014. However, with an estimate of 400 000 asylum applications...
Press freedom day
Press freedom is under threat in Europe
As the world will celebrate press freedom day on 3 May, journalists have increasingly become fair game in Europe. Just a few weeks ago, we mourned another journalist killed in Ukraine. He was the 14th journalist to be killed in Europe in the last 16 months. The rising death toll is the most...
Annual activity report
2014 was a bad year for human rights in Europe
Annual activity report 2014 “Last year thousands of people died who should not have died, primarily in the Mediterranean Sea and in eastern Ukraine. They should not have died in a Europe that prides itself on being a space where the rule of law and democracy prevails, on a continent that claims...
Opinion Article
Crisis in the Mediterranean: Europe must change course
The Mediterranean Sea has for centuries been the cradle of modern European civilisation. It has today become a huge graveyard, as thousands of migrants continue to drown under Europe’s distracted look. When in October 2013 a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa took the lives of 300...
Third party intervention
Azerbaijan: Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes in Leyla and Arif Yunus’ case before the European Court of Human Rights
Today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published his written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Leyla and Arif Yunus. This is the last of five interventions published since February 2015 in which the Commissioner...
Interview
ARTE Interview on France's draft law on surveillance
VIDEO : https://youtu.be/WweNEpHmwYs?t=13m32s
Media freedom
Commissioner Muižnieks calls for unhindered broadcasting of ATR TV
Commissioner Muižnieks is concerned about reports that the Crimean Tatar ATR TV has been forced to stop broadcasting in Crimea. Current obstacles placed by the authorities to the work of ATR and other Crimean Tatar media outlets send a chilling message to media professionals working on the...
Third party intervention
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes before the European Court of Human Rights on the cases of Rasul Jafarov and Anar Mammadli
Today the Commissioner made public two written contributions sent to the European Court of Human Rights concerning the cases of human rights defenders Rasul Jafarov and Anar Mammadli. Following the amicus curiae submissions on the cases of Hilal Mammadov and Intigam Aliyev, today's interventions...
Counter-terrorism
The Commissioner is concerned about the new anti-terrorism measures
I am concerned about the strictly security-based approach characterising both discussions about stepping up the fight against terrorism and the relevant legislation. The blocking of Internet sites without prior judicial authorisation which recently started in France is a clear example of the...
Visit to Serbia
Serbia urged to safeguard the human rights of persons with disabilities and displaced Roma
«Serbia needs to take immediate steps to address serious issues relating to the right to legal capacity of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities and their de-institutionalisation in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by which Serbia is bound»...
Third party intervention
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes before the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Intigam Aliyev
Today the Commissioner made public his written contribution sent to the European Court of Human Rights concerning the case of human rights defender and lawyer Intigam Aliyev. The Commissioner underscores that the present case is an illustration of a serious and systemic human rights problem in...
Statement
Spain : Commissioner concerned about adoption of amendment to the Aliens Act
Yesterday’s adoption by the Senate of the amendment to Spain’s Aliens Act falls short of providing clear guarantees against refoulement and collective expulsions, and of establishing adequate safeguards for the right of every person to seek and enjoy asylum, irrespective of the way they reach...
Country visit report
Armenia should intensify its efforts to ensure gender equality and protect human rights in the justice system
Read the report “Gender inequality and violence against women are serious human rights concerns in Armenia. More vigorous efforts are needed to address them,” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, publishing the report of his visit to Armenia from 5 to 9...
International Women's Day
Fulfilling women’s rights
On the occasion of the International Women’s day, the Commissioner calls on European governments to make gender equality and the fulfilment of women’s rights a reality. “Progress has been made in recent decades in a number of areas, in particular in establishing legislation and mechanisms...
Third party interventions
Commissioner Muižnieks intervenes in cases concerning Azerbaijan before the European Court of Human Rights
Today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Hilal Mammadov against Azerbaijan, in which he stresses the systematic deficiencies in the area of freedom of expression,...
Visit report
France: persistent discrimination endangers human rights
Read the report “Despite advances in legislation and measures to combat intolerance and racism, discrimination and hate speech not only persist in France but are on the rise. There is an urgent need to combat this in a sustained and systematic manner,” Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe...
Visit to Bulgaria
Bulgaria: progress needed to better protect children, improve media freedom and uphold the human rights of migrants
« Bulgaria should ensure that children’s rights are fully respected in the process of de-institutionalisation and reforming the juvenile justice system» said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of a three-day visit to Bulgaria. "Bulgaria should stop...
Statement
Europe still needs to draw lessons from the Holocaust
70 years ago the Auschwitz death camp was liberated. What the world’s peoples saw shocked their conscience and made them realise man’s possible barbarity. The Holocaust resulted in the murder of one third of the Jewish population as well as of numerous persons belonging to other minority groups....
Visit to Norway
Recognise legal capacity of all people with disabilities
"Norway should recognise the legal capacity of all people with disabilities, including persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities” - said Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, after a visit to Norway (19-23 January 2015). "As a first step, the...
Visit to Spain
Spain: Legislation and practice on immigration and asylum must adhere to human rights standards
“The proposed amendments to the Aliens Act aimed at legalising push-backs of migrants arriving in Ceuta and Melilla currently discussed in Spain are in clear breach of human rights law. The Spanish authorities should reconsider them and ensure that any future legislation fully abides by Spain's...