24/06/2021 | 18:12:29 Thank you, Mister President. First of all, let me congratulate Mr Konstantin KUHLE for his excellent report. Indeed, the improper or illicit interference through financial contributions by foreign states is really worrisome because it shows the ugly face of corruption and jeopardises the values of democracy. Political decision-making is increasingly exposed to international influence and it is of paramount importance. Further important is, as the resolution says, among other things, to... 22/06/2021 | 09:32:22 Thank you, Chair. First of all, I would like I could to thank Mr Roberto RAMPI for the this excellent report, which I support. I do totally agree that limitation to the right to know intending to protect national security or the right to privacy must be narrowly defined. As the resolution says, the main responsibility for safeguarding the right to know lies with the public authorities. In this sense, the members of parliament, as representatives of the people, have an enhanced right of access... 21/06/2021 | 19:35:27 We want to insert the word "amnesty" explicitly. We understand that it is implicit in the text, but we would like it to be explicit, because pardons do not erase criminal offence nor their criminal records. A pardon forgives the sentence but the amnesty forgives the crime. And the pro-independence supporters have been targeted with 105 criminal cases, bails worth millions issued by the audit court, and exiles cannot return. So, the pardon only helps the nine in jail. A pardon is also partial... 21/06/2021 | 19:13:12 Merci, Madam Chair, replace the word "illegal" for "unauthorised" while it is repeated in different instances. We propose only in the most relevant part because first, organising a referendum was decriminalised in 2005. We think The term "illegal" is not accurate and from the international human rights perspective a pacific referendum should never be criminalised or sanctioned under any circumstances. More importantly, when it comes to historical events, it must be noted that on 1 October, it... 21/06/2021 | 18:52:18 Thank you, Madam Chair. Today I am speaking on behalf of those retaliated against. Today I am speaking on behalf of the leaders in jail and on behalf of those in exile. On the 1st of October of 2017, Catalonia voted in a referendum. Voting can never be a crime, the more so when done pacificly. Dialogue, negotiation, and voting crystallise democracy. Do you know how many Catalans today want to decide their future through a referendum? 80%, colleagues. 80%. Do you know how many times Catalans... 22/04/2021 | 09:40:48 Merci, Mister President. Thank you for your speech, Mister ROTH. Between the German presidency priorities, there is the fight against hate speech, as you have told us, as a predominant threat to human rights and democratic integrity and a global phenomenon facing all European countries. I am a member of No Hate Parliamentary Alliance and I am very concerned about the rise of neo-Nazism everywhere, including in parliaments. What specific steps has your presidency has done or will do to address... 21/04/2021 | 16:46:14 Thank you, Madam Commissioner. Freedom of assembly, independence of the judiciary, human rights defenders: these are all items under your mandate. We were sorry to see, however, little mention of political prisoners nowadays in jail in many countries in the Council of Europe. A continued silence in front of human rights violations only favours the oppressor. On another note, I wanted to thank you for the letter sent to the Spanish Minister of Justice concerning the amendment to the criminal... 21/04/2021 | 10:56:03 Mr President, good morning Mr Sassoli and welcome to the Parliamentary Assembly, the place where to foster freedom of debate without censorship. But not in every country there is a freedom of debate in parliaments. I am talking about Spain. I am talking about the parliament vote which censors the investigation of monarchy corruption, which censors an important law, such as the Amnesty Law. Two weeks ago, a political solution for our political prisoners. I am also talking about courts telling... 20/04/2021 | 12:44:35 Thank you, Mr President. Dear colleagues, I want to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Tiny KOX, for this work which focuses on the strategic priorities of the Council of Europe and what is most important: what is our vision about that. I want to emphasise several points of the report which I believe are very important. Firstly, the Council of Europe's overall priority is to reaffirm itself as an independent forum for a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue. For us, for my party, it is very... 20/04/2021 | 10:42:07 Madam Chancellor, thank you for your speech. In Europe the entry of the extreme right parties is altering the fragile human rights systems that has cost us so much to build and threatens the lower democratic standards. I want to draw your attention on the infiltration of neo-Nazism ideology in the Spanish Army. Here are a few examples. We have Air Force members glorifying the Fascist regime and defending extermination of 26 million Spaniards, and soldiers singing neo-Nazi songs in official...