Statement
National human rights structures play a key role in addressing the impacts of artificial intelligence on human rights
“Effective and independent national human rights structures are guardians of human rights at the national level in the member states and key partners for me. They play a crucial role in the prevention, mitigation, and oversight of the human rights impacts of AI systems”, said the Commissioner at...
Letter
Parliamentarians should uphold the United Kingdom’s international obligations when scrutinising the “Illegal Migration Bill”
“It is essential that parliamentarians prevent legislation that is incompatible with the United Kingdom’s international obligations being passed”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in her letter to the House of Commons and the House of Lords about the...
Statement
Demonstrations in France: freedoms of expression and assembly must be protected against all forms of violence
"In the context of the social movement against the pension reform in France, the freedoms of expression and assembly are being exercised under worrying conditions," the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, said today. "It is the responsibility of the authorities to...
Report
Commissioner calls on states to support and to protect human rights defenders in the context of multiple crises affecting Europe
“The growing gap between the risks and the obstacles faced by human rights defenders in Europe and the standards States have agreed to must be a call to action”, says Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović upon the release today of a report on a round-table with human...
Statement
High time for the authorities to accept LGBTI people and their rights, the perpetrators of the attack in Banja Luka must be sanctioned
"The violence unleashed against LGBTI people, human rights defenders and journalists in Banja Luka last Saturday is a worrying and dangerous development and violation of the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The authorities must condemn and investigate the incident, and...
Country visit
Serbia: more efforts needed to face the past, increase safety of journalists and human rights defenders, and protect women from violence
“It is high time for Serbia to face the legacy of the past, to protect media freedom and freedom of assembly, and to fulfil its commitments on women’s rights and gender equality” said today Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of a visit to the country...
Observations
Council of Europe Summit 2023: Commissioner calls on member states to recommit to human rights for all
The Commissioner published today her observations on the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe, which will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 16-17 May 2023. The Commissioner underlines the importance of the Summit as an opportunity to reaffirm member states' commitment to the values and...
Country visit
Urgent action needed to reunite Ukrainian children transferred to Russia and Russian-occupied territories with their families
“Russia’s failure to return Ukrainian children separated from their families and legal guardians is a serious violation of their human rights. Concrete mechanisms and solutions must urgently be identified and used to reunite these children with their families,” said today the Council of Europe...
Statement
Belarus: today’s conviction of Nobel Laureate Bialiatski and other human rights defenders is a blatant attack against justice
Today's outrageous conviction and long-term imprisonment of the prominent human rights defenders in Belarus – Ales Bialiatski, who is the chairman of Viasna group and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his colleagues – Valiantsin Stefanovich, the deputy-president of FIDH, and Uladzimir...
Letter
Commissioner urges the Georgian Parliament to reject the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence”
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia published today, Commissioner Mijatović expresses concerns that the adoption of the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” may have a serious chilling effect on the work of civil society organisations in Georgia. “Such a...
Country visit
Breakthrough necessary to ensure the equality and dignity of Roma people and people with disabilities in the Czech Republic
“The Czech Republic should spare no effort to address the long-standing problem of the exclusion of Roma people and people with disabilities, and to ensure that they can live in equality and dignity”, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, today, following her...
Joint statement
Brutal aggression against Ukraine: One Year On
Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Committee of Ministers Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Tiny Kox, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović as well as President of the Congress...
Human Rights Comment
Nothing to cure: putting an end to so-called “conversion therapies” for LGBTI people
There is nothing therapeutic about so-called conversion therapies. These are the words of a transgender (trans) person and activist who spoke with me at a recent gathering for civil society. This simple sentence reveals the insidious nature of interventions which claim that one can, and should,...
Statement
The leaders of EU member states must commit to ending human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants
“The leaders of EU member states should urgently address the serious human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants that have become a permanent feature of migration control practices at many of Europe’s borders", said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human...
Letter
Latvian authorities should put an end to pushbacks and safeguard the human rights of people seeking protection at the border with Belarus
In a letter addressed to the Minister for the Interior of Latvia, Māris Kučinskis, published today, the Commissioner raises concerns about the reported continuation of pushbacks at the Latvian-Belarusian border which has led to severe injuries suffered by men, women and children and the death of...
Statement
Azerbaijan's authorities should release activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and give him full access to medical care
The arrest and ongoing detention of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a prominent civil society activist in Azerbaijan, provides yet another illustration of the government’s intolerance towards independent civic activism in the country. Like many other activists, human rights defenders and journalists, Mr...
Letter
The Italian government should consider withdrawing Decree Law which could hamper NGO search and rescue operations at sea
In a letter addressed to the Minister of the Interior of Italy, Matteo Piantedosi, published today, Commissioner Mijatović calls on the government to consider withdrawing or revise the Decree Law No. 1/2023. The Decree’s provisions could hamper NGO search and rescue operations and, therefore, be...
Human Rights Comment
Highly intrusive spyware threatens the essence of human rights
Over 18 months have passed since an international coalition of brave investigative journalists released the Pegasus Project. The disclosure of the leak of over 50,000 phone numbers, including those of many human rights defenders, journalists, academics, and opposition leaders, that had been...
Speech
The human rights challenges faced by intersex people need to be urgently addressed
At the Conference on Advancing the human rights of intersex people. High-Level session: launching the work on the drafting of a new Committee of Ministers Recommendation on equality of rights of intersex people, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, gave the...
Statement
Human rights defenders in Russia need support
The Moscow city court’s decision to liquidate the Moscow Helsinki Group, the oldest and most reputable human rights group in Russia, founded in 1976, is yet another worrying illustration of the reprisals and harassment human rights defenders face in Russia. Like previous decisions, including...
Statement
Remembering the Holocaust commits us to delivering on genocide prevention
Every year around this day, a commitment is reaffirmed that the Holocaust will forever be a “warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice” (UN Resolution) and a promise is renewed that we will not allow genocide to happen again. Our generation and generations to...
Statement
Greek authorities should reverse the trend undermining the work of human rights defenders and journalists
The hostile environment in which human rights defenders, civil society and journalists work in Greece has been an issue of concern for several years. Smear campaigns targeting individuals defending human rights, cumbersome NGO registration procedures and undue pressure on journalists have...
Statement
Movement along the Lachin Corridor should be restored as a matter of urgency to prevent a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
“I have been closely following the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh following the blocking of the road running through the Lachin Corridor since 12 December. I am concerned that the prolonged disruption in the movement of people, preventing some from reaching their homes, and in access to...
Statement
Movement along the Lachin Corridor should be restored as a matter of urgency to prevent a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
“I have been closely following the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh following the blocking of the road running through the Lachin Corridor since 12 December. I am concerned that the prolonged disruption in the movement of people, preventing some from reaching their homes, and in access to...
Letter
Commissioner calls on Belgium to ensure accommodation and material assistance for asylum seekers
In her letter addressed to Belgium’s State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole De Moor, published today, the Commissioner expresses her concerns about the current situation of individuals seeking international protection in Belgium. A lack of available accommodation in reception facilities...
Letter
Commissioner seeks clarification on investigations into alleged pushbacks of migrants trying to cross the border into Bulgaria
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today her letter to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister for Public Order and Security and Minister of Interior of Bulgaria, in which she expresses concern about recent media reports regarding pushbacks at...
Statement
Member states should better protect and support human rights defenders
"Council of Europe member states must urgently address the increasing gap between human rights standards and reality. Strengthening the protection of human rights defenders should be among their top priorities," said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, on Human...
Speech
Commissioner stresses the importance of solidarity with and among human rights defenders
"Human rights defenders need more solidarity from member states, their citizens and civil society, as well as solidarity among themselves", said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in a conference organised today in Oslo by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in...
Country visit report
United Kingdom: Commissioner warns against regression on human rights, calls for concrete steps to protect children’s rights and to tackle human rights issues in Northern Ireland
“Both the overall system for protecting human rights, and the rights of specific groups, are currently under pressure in the United Kingdom (UK). The authorities should spare no effort to reverse this trend”, warns today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, while...
Country visit
Spain should advance social rights, better guarantee freedoms of expression and assembly and improve human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants
“Spain has made significant efforts to advance the protection of social rights in recent years. Crucial legislative reforms, currently pending in Parliament, provide an opportunity to align Spanish legislation with international and European human rights standards, including in the field of the...