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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...
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...
Rule 9
Proposed United Kingdom legislation on the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland raises human rights concerns
The Commissioner published today her submission to the Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of the McKerr group of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. This group of judgments relates to several shortcomings in the investigation of deaths during...
Country visit
United Kingdom: backsliding on human rights must be prevented
“Legal reforms should not weaken human rights protections in the United Kingdom”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, following a five-day visit to the country (27 June to 1 July), which focused on the system for human rights protection, the situation...
Letter
Commissioner calls on UK government not to extradite Julian Assange
In a letter, published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, called on UK Home Secretary Priti Patel not to extradite Julian Assange. Writing in view of the impending decision on Mr Assange’s extradition, the Commissioner noted that the wider human rights...
Statement
United Kingdom government‘s intention to offshore asylum processing to Rwanda sends a worrying signal
“Today’s announcement by the UK government of its intention to offshore asylum processing to Rwanda sends a worrying signal”, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović. “Not only does such externalisation raise questions about the protection of the human rights of the...
Letter
Safe and legal routes and protection of human rights must take centre stage in co-operation between the United Kingdom and France on Channel crossings
The United Kingdom and France should ensure that the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants take centre stage in their actions to deal with crossings of the Channel, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in letters addressed to the UK Home...
Letter
UK government’s legacy proposals must not undermine human rights and cut off victims’ avenues to justice in Northern Ireland
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, warns that a proposed new plan for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland “would undermine human rights protections and would cut...
Letter
United Kingdom: Parliamentarians should reject restrictions on peaceful demonstration, criminalisation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
In a letter to the UK House of Commons and House of Lords, published today, the Commissioner urged parliamentarians to reject restrictions on peaceful demonstrations contained in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. She also urges them to reject a new proposed criminal offence of...
Letter
UK lawmakers should reject provisions of the Overseas Operations Bill undermining the fight against impunity for serious human rights violations
In a letter addressed to the members of the House of Commons made public today, the Commissioner warns that provisions of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill currently under discussion give “cause for grave concern about their compliance with the United Kingdom’s...
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* 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.
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