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Death row
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PACE rapporteur on death penalty expresses deep regret at US federal execution of Lisa Montgomery

14/01/2021 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Vladimir Vardanyan (Armenia, EPP/CD), PACE general rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, has expressed his deep regret at Wednesday's execution at a federal level in the United States of Lisa Montgomery. “Whilst I have every sympathy for all those affected by the crime, I am deeply...

NGO assistance
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Rapporteurs urge Turkish parliament not to adopt new restrictions on NGOs

21/12/2020 | Monitoring

PACE monitors for Turkey Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden, SOC) and John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA) and Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe member States, expressed their deep concern about possible new restrictions which could be...

Daphne / Caruana / Galizia

Malta’s response to Assembly demands on Daphne’s assassination and the rule of law ‘unsatisfactory’

08/12/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Malta’s implementation of Assembly recommendations on ensuring justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and strengthening the rule of law is “unsatisfactory”, the Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee has said, endorsing a follow-up report by its rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD) made...

Alexandra / Louis / France

Some States continue to apply restrictions on NGO activities, committee says

08/12/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

The Legal Affairs Committee, meeting by videoconference, today expressed its concern that civil society space was shrinking in several member States, stressing that “restrictive legislation and regulations were still being applied, particularly in Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Turkey...

Orlando / Andrea

Judges in Moldova and Poland must remain independent, says PACE committee

08/12/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee has urged authorities in the Republic of Moldova and in Poland to take a series of steps to uphold the rule of law and ensure judicial independence. Approving a report by Andrea Orlando (Italy, SOC), the committee said it was concerned by “the proximity of part of...

Money laundering
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Strengthening Financial Intelligence Units and improving confiscation of illegal assets

09/11/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

National and international efforts aimed at combating money-laundering and terrorist financing have fallen far short of declared objectives. According to the Legal Affairs Committee, these illegal assets amount to more than USD 2 000 billion annually. In the hands of criminals, they represent a...

Osman Kavala
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‘It is very shocking that Osman Kavala remains in detention’ says General Rapporteur

02/11/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

The General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the situation of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member States, Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), made the following statement on the occasion of the third anniversary of the pre-trial detention of...

MH17
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Rapporteur on downing of MH17 regrets withdrawal of Russia from trilateral talks with the Netherlands and...

19/10/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE’s rapporteur on ensuring accountability for the downing of flight MH17 Titus Corlăţean (Romania, SOC) has regretted the withdrawal of Russia from trilateral talks with the Netherlands and Australia concerning the 2014 downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers on...

Alexandra / Louis / France

General Rapporteur calls for review of detention conditions of Jordi Cuixart

16/10/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE’s General Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member states, Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), today made the following statement: “Three years after the detention of Jordi Cuixart, human rights defender and President of the Catalan association Omnium...

Daphne / Caruana / Galizia

Another year and still no justice for Daphne, says PACE rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt

15/10/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

“Another year has passed, the third, and still there is no justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia,” declared Pieter Omtzigt, the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) rapporteur for follow-up to Resolution 2293 (2019) on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination and the rule of law in...

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD)
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Pieter Omtzigt calls for an end to the persecution of UK oil-industry whistle-blower Jonathan Taylor

12/10/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), the General Rapporteur on the Protection of Whistle-blowers for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), calls for a swift end to the persecution of the British oil-industry whistle-blower Jonathan Taylor, who in 2014 helped expose USD 275...

Titus / Corlatean / death penalty

PACE rapporteur welcomes Kazakhstan's decision to abolish the death penalty

28/09/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Titus Corlăţean (Romania, SOC), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the abolition of the death penalty, has welcomed the decision by the Kazakh authorities to abolish the death penalty entirely by signing the Second Optional Protocol to the...