03/10/2012 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has reaffirmed its support for general criteria put forward by independent experts in 2001 to define the notion of political prisoners and called on all Council of Europe member States to reassess the cases of any alleged political prisoners by applying these criteria and release or retry any such prisoners as appropriate. Adopting a resolution based on a report by Christoph Strässer (Germany, SOC), the Assembly said the criteria are summed up as follows...
03/10/2012 | Session
“When foreign policy neglects human rights for too long and focuses solely on strategic economic and geopolitical interests, human rights crises may erupt and ‘humanitarian interventions’ become urgent and moral necessities”; Europe can’t afford to have another Srebrenica – foreign policy can no longer neglect human rights, said Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC) today, when presenting his report on human rights and foreign policy.
03/10/2012 | Session
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly today, Nicolae Timofti, President of the Republic of Moldova, called for Transnistria to be reintegrated into the Republic of Moldova with a “comfortable level of self governance”, and insisted that Russian forces should be withdrawn. “The perpetuation of the Transnistrian conflict undermines our national security and territorial integrity, hampers economic development and divides society,” he said.
02/10/2012 | Session
The attempt to criminalise Iceland’s former Prime Minister Geir Haarde is an example of how holding a political leader criminally responsible for his political acts “poisons the political climate without advancing the cause of justice”, according to a memorandum on the affair prepared for the PACE Legal Affairs Committee. Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), who is preparing a report for PACE on “Keeping political and criminal responsibility separate”, said in an information memorandum – made public in Strasbourg yesterday – that the attempt to criminalise Mr Haarde had “clearly backfired” against Iceland’s political class and had “left a bad aftertaste”.
02/10/2012 | Session
Edmond Panariti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, presented to the Parliamentary Assembly, the developments during his country’s Chairmanship since the previous Assembly session last June. Recalling that under the motto “unity in diversity,” Albania’s Chairmanship is focusing, among other priorities, on promoting sustainable democratic societies, Mr Panariti referred to the “2012 Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue” that took place in Dürres in early September.
02/10/2012 | Session
In its first full monitoring assessment in seven years, PACE has urged the newly-elected President Putin to “democratise the system” in Russia. In a resolution based on a report by György Frunda (Romania, EPP/CD) and Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), the Assembly said Russia was “at a unique moment” in its short history of democratic development and needed concrete reforms to realise the potential of the “momentum for change” created by recent events, such as the mobilization of more than 100,000 citizens following recent elections, the awakening of a very engaged civil society and the willingness of the authorities to hear the call for reforms.
02/10/2012 | Session
PACE today elected Faris Vehabović as judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr Vehabović, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge for a term of office of nine years starting not later than three months as from 2 October 2012.
02/10/2012 | Session
PACE today elected Ksenija Turković as judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Croatia. Ms Turković, having obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast, is elected judge for a term of office of nine years starting not later than three months as from 1 November 2012.
02/10/2012 | Session
PACE today elected Valeriu Griţco as judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the Republic of Moldova. Mr Griţco, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge for a term of office of nine years starting not later than three months as from 2 October 2012.
02/10/2012 | Session
PACE today elected Dmitry Dedov as judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the Russian Federation. Mr Dedov, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected a judge for a term of office of nine years starting not later than three months as from 1 November 2012.
01/10/2012 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today elected, at the opening of its Autumn Session, René Rouquet Vice-President of the Assembly with respect to France.
01/10/2012 | Session
Adopting the agenda of its autumn plenary session this morning, PACE decided to hold an urgent debate on “The European response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria” on the morning of Thursday 4 October. It also decided to hold a current affairs debate later on the same day on “The Safarov case”.