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
Member states should provide more support to Russian and Belarusian human rights defenders
The recent awards of the Nobel Peace Prize and of the Vaclav Havel Prize to human rights defenders from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine is an additional recognition by the international community of the crucial role defenders play in advancing and protecting human rights for all, especially in times...
Statement
Russian authorities should stop the unprecedented crackdown on freedoms of expression, assembly and association in the country
Russia's military attack against Ukraine has lasted for almost 12 days now, causing death and destruction. It is also leading to a large-scale repression of freedoms in the Russian Federation. Since the war began, more than 13 000 people, including children and elderly people, have been arrested...
Statement
The killing and suffering of people in Ukraine has to stop now
“For the sixth day now, Russia's military attack against Ukraine has continued to sow death and destruction in the heart of Europe. In just a few days, the war has led to the death or injury of hundreds of people, including many children. The latest shelling of the city of Kharkiv has laid bare...
Statement
Commissioner for Human Rights’ statement on the situation in Ukraine
What had seemed unthinkable in Europe in the 21st century has just happened. Our continent is today once more being drawn into an armed conflict. The Russian military attack on Ukraine has already resulted in the loss of human life and dire human suffering. It exposes millions of people in...
Statement
The liquidation of Memorial NGOs is a harsh blow to human rights protection in Russia
"The Russian courts decisions yesterday and today to shut down two prominent human rights groups - International Memorial and Human Rights Centre Memorial – on the grounds of the so-called “foreign agents” law is a deplorable move that will have significant negative consequences for human rights...
Letter
Commissioner urges the Russian General Prosecutor to discontinue the liquidation proceedings of Memorial human rights NGOs
In a letter to the General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, expresses her concerns over the liquidation proceedings against two prominent Russian human rights groups - International Memorial and Human...
Statement
The Russian authorities should discontinue the liquidation of Memorial and repeal the “foreign agents” law as a matter of priority
The Russian authorities' move towards liquidating the NGOs International Memorial and Human Rights Centre Memorial for non-compliance with the so-called “foreign agents” law is deeply disturbing. Memorial is one of the most senior and prominent human rights groups in Russia and a symbol of the...
Statement
Human rights abuses in Chechnya should be investigated, not covered up
“The shocking testimonies revealed by Novaya Gazeta about extrajudicial executions and other grave human rights violations committed in Chechnya over the last years warrant an immediate, impartial, and independent investigation by the Russian federal investigative authorities into such...
Letter
The Commissioner urges the Russian authorities to halt the practice of arresting peaceful demonstrators and to align policing of demonstrations with human rights standards
Today the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic published a letter addressed to the Minister of Interior of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in which she highlights a number of human rights concerns related to the policing of demonstrations that had taken place in many...
* On 16 March 2022, the Committee of Ministers adopted a decision by which the Russian Federation ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe, after 26 years of membership.
** All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
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- Kosovo**
* On 16 March 2022, the Committee of Ministers adopted a decision by which the Russian Federation ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe, after 26 years of membership.
** All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.