09/07/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the human rights situation in the North Caucasus, Dick Marty (Switzerland/ALDE) has described as "unacceptable and unworthy" the words of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who publicly described the staff of Russian human rights NGO Memorial as "enemies of the people, enemies of the law, enemies of the state".
31/05/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The situation in the North Caucasus region, particularly the Chechen Republic, Ingushetia and Dagestan, is currently “the most serious and delicate situation” from the angle of protecting human rights and affirming the rule of law in the whole geographic area covered by the Council of Europe, as stressed by the text adopted this morning by PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, on the basis of the report drawn up by Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE). The unanimously adopted draft resolution paints a dark picture, particularly in the Chechen Republic, where the current authorities continue to nurture “a climate of pervading fear”.
28/05/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights is due to approve a report by Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE) on "Legal remedies for human rights violations in the North Caucasus region" during a meeting of the committee in Paris on Monday 31 May. The report – which becomes public if approved by the committee – is due to be debated by the Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday 22 June during its summer plenary session (21-25 June 2010).
07/05/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Strasbourg, 07.05.2010 - Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, has ended a two-day visit to Bucharest (5-6 May 2010) with a call to the Romanian...
05/05/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, has ended a two-day visit to Chisinau (3-4 May 2010) with a call to the Moldovan authorities to increase their efforts to solve several structural problems revealed in these judgments. “Good intentions to rectify the various deficiencies pointed to by the Court are just not enough,” said Mr Pourgourides, who chairs the Assembly’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.
22/04/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christoph Strässer (Germany, SOC), PACE rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, has welcomed today’s judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, which held that the prison sentence against opposition journalist Eynulla Fatullayev violates, among other things, the freedom of expression and of information protected by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
20/04/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
“I was shocked to learn that the Hamas movement has, for the first time since it took over in Gaza, applied the death penalty to two Palestinians – and I am deeply concerned at reports that it is contemplating further executions soon,” said Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty for PACE, in a letter today to the Secretary General of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).
13/04/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD), rapporteur of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the protection of witnesses as the cornerstone for justice and reconciliation in the Balkans, will make a fact-finding visit to Pristina on 15-16 April. During his visit, he will meet representatives of the judicial system, in particular.
07/04/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur for the abolition of the death penalty, strongly protested against the execution in China for drug smuggling of Japanese national Mitsunobu Akana. "The execution in China of this Japanese citizen, and the impending execution of several others, is an outrage. Reportedly, the accused Japanese did not even have a qualified interpreter when he was interrogated and his argument that he only played a subordinate role in the offence was not accepted at all...
06/04/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
On the eve of International Roma Day, József Berényi (Slovak Republic, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the situation of Roma in Europe, has denounced “an increasing trend towards anti-Gypsyism of the worst kind” and called for an urgent probe into why efforts to help Roma over the last 20 years have all but failed.
29/03/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
“Having only returned a few hours ago from the North Caucasus, I learned with shock what was happening in Moscow," Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE), PACE's rapporteur on the situation in the North Caucasus, said today. "I want the authors of these crimes found and judged, and I hope that those who try to destroy the democratic system and the rule of law will fail. I am confident that Russia’s institutions will know how to respond in a way which is both effective and remains true to the values which the people of the Russian Federation hold dear. President Medvedev’s reference, in his statement following the attacks, to the importance of respecting human rights is a very positive signal in this regard.”
19/03/2010 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Strasbourg, 18.03.2010 – The EU should accede to the European Convention on Human Rights “within a couple of years”, with negotiations beginning no later than July this year, a Vice-Chair of PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee has told a European Parliament hearing in Brussels. Serhiy Holovaty...