04/12/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary of the United Kingdom David Lammy has underscored the British Government’s commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights during an exchange of views on 1 December with the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council...
01/12/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
“I am concerned by the legislative proposals that are currently being considered under an expedited procedure in the Slovak parliament, which would affect the protection of whistle-blowers,” said Anna-Kristiina Mikkonen (Finland, SOC), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of...
30/10/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
On the occasion of the International Day of Political Prisoners, PACE General Rapporteur for political prisoners, Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Political Prisoners, Steve Cohen (United States), made the following statement: “In his...
16/10/2025 | Artificial Intelligence
“Artificial intelligence is often perceived as a threat, but it should be seen as something that complements humanity’s pursuit of excellence. Technology must serve humanity, not replace it. Europe’s future lies not in machines, but in people who use them wisely,” said PACE President Theodoros...
09/10/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, Gala Veldhoen (Netherlands, SOC), made the following statement today, on the eve of the World Day against the Death Penalty (10 October): “This year’s World Day Against the Death Penalty is again dedicated to challenging the...
17/09/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Reacting to Yuliya Navalnaya‘s announcement today revealing that independent laboratory tests confirm Alexei Navalny was poisoned while detained in a remote Russian penal colony, Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur for political prisoners, issued the following statement: “More...
12/09/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christophe Lacroix (Belgium, SOC), PACE rapporteur on “Threats to life and safety of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan”, has issued the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed by the recent judgment of the Baku Court of Appeal upholding the convictions of seven...
09/07/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), today made the following statement: “On the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment attributing...
22/06/2025 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The release of Siarhii Tsikhanouskiy and 13 other political prisoners in Belarus is excellent news in today’s uncertain world,” said three general rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in a joint statement. “These releases are the result of unstinting efforts...
23/05/2025 | Standing Committee
PACE has welcomed finalising the draft Third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. Stressing the need for rapid and effective cross-border co-operation in the fight against transnational crime, the Assembly also underlined that such efforts...
22/05/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The PACE General Rapporteur for political prisoners, Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), made the following statement regarding the conviction of Igbal Abilov, a Talysh historian and ethnographer, on charges of high treason in Azerbaijan: “I am deeply concerned by the verdict of the Lankaran Serious...
15/05/2025 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting on 13 May in Paris, categorically reaffirmed indisputable legal and human rights considerations related to the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine. It stated that certain fundamental principles of international law, such...