News

PACE rapporteurs react to the death in prison of Turkish lawyer and human rights defender Ebru Timtik

02/09/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE General Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member states, Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), together with the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Turkey, Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden, SOC) and John Howell (United Kingdom, CE/DA), have reacted to the death...

Belarus: PACE rapporteur is outraged that Dmitry Pavlichenko is back on the street

02/09/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

André Gattolin (France, ALDE), the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) rapporteur on “Ending enforced disappearances on the territory of the Council of Europe” has today expressed outrage that Dmitry Pavlichenko is still out in the streets of Minsk threatening demonstrators instead...

Yazidi genocide in 2014: PACE rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt demands justice

03/08/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

In August 2014, Daesh committed genocide against the Yazidi community in region of Sinjar in northern Iraq. Reportedly, Daesh killed 5000 Yazidi civilians and sold thousands more into slavery. Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis had to flee their homes. In its Resolution 2091 (2016) on “Foreign...

Rapporteurs respond to reports of mass arrests of demonstrators in Azerbaijan

31/07/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, and Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC/DA), co-rapporteurs on monitoring of Azerbaijan, have today...

General rapporteur deeply regrets the decision of the US Federal Government to resume executions

15/07/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC), PACE general rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, expressed his deep regret at the decision of the United States of America Federal Government to resume executions in the week of 13 July. “Whilst I have every sympathy for all those affected by the...

I will not rest until there is justice for Daphne, says Pieter Omtzigt, marking the 1,000th day since her...

10/07/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

“Daphne’s brutal assassination continues to cast a dark shadow over Maltese public life,” said Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, in a statement to mark 12 July 2020, the 1,000th day since her death...

Pandemics and states of emergency: there should and need not be any tension between effectiveness and legality

02/07/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Whilst a ‘state of emergency’ may allow for a more effective response to a major health crisis like that of COVID-19, it might also be potentially hazardous from the perspective of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. But according to the Committee on Legal Affairs, “there should and need...

Drug policy: better knowledge for greater protection

25/06/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

On the occasion of World Drug Day and the Global Day of Action for the #SupportDontPunish Campaign, Assembly rapporteur Hannah Bardell (United Kingdom, NR) and rapporteur for opinion Joseph O’Reilly (Ireland, EPP/CD) called for European drug policies to be consistent with human rights standards...

Rapporteur calls on Maltese authorities to make reforms real, end impunity and ensure justice for Daphne...

19/06/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, today welcomed the Venice Commission’s opinion on the Maltese government’s reform proposals and expressed his concern at recent revelations about the Maltese police...

'Increasing legal and political difficulties’ with implementing judgments of the Strasbourg Court, warns...

05/06/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee has expressed its concern at the “increasing legal and political difficulties” surrounding the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights - and again urged States Parties to the Convention to implement the Court’s binding judgments. Approving...

Pieter Omtzigt calls on Malta to establish Joint Investigative Teams for cases of high-level political...

29/05/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), Rapporteur for follow-up to Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2293 (2019) on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, today called on the Maltese authorities to ensure effective investigations into the numerous long-standing...

COVID-19: Rapporteurs call for the immediate release of Osman Kavala after Strasbourg Court decision

13/05/2020 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE monitors for Turkey Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden, SOC) and John Howell (United Kingdom, EC/DA), as well as the General rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member States Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), have reacted to the decision of the Grand Chamber of...