Human Rights

Ex-Georgian President’s Mistreatment Threatens Entry into the EU

February 21, 2023

The European Parliament has announced in a resolution that was passed with a massive majority that the treatment of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in prison poses a threat to Georgia’s ambitions to join the European Union.
New York Times sues EU over Von der Leyen’s Pfizer Texts

February 15, 2023

The New York Times is suing the European Commission over their failure to release text messages between its president Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla arguing that there is a legal obligation to release the messages that potentially contain information on the bloc’s deals to purchase billions of euros worth of COVID-19 vaccines.
France Is Protecting Children From the Dangers of Pornography

February 13, 2023

The French government is taking action to protect minors from online pornography access by requiring any adults who want to watch porn to « install an application for government-licensed digital certification on their mobile phones to prove that they are at least 18 years old, », banning any pornography sites that do not comply
Germany Drops Mask Mandate

February 06, 2023

As one of the last European countries to hold onto the mask mandate in some areas of public life, the German federal government has dropped the mask mandate on long-distance trains after a number of federal regions dropped the mask mandate on local and regional trains over the last few months, taking a step towards leaving the pandemic era behind.
ECtHR Rules on Russian Responsibility in Eastern Ukraine

February 03, 2023

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has set a precedent as the first international court to prove Russia’s occupation in Donbas since 2014, highlighting assessments in a 230 page document including unlawful military aggression against civilians and civilian objects as well as confirmation that Russia’s violations (from killings and torture to, for example, restrictions to education, freedom of expression, free elections and association) were systematic and not isolated.
Council of Europe Adopts a Recommendation on Adequate Minimum Income

February 01, 2023

The European Council has adopted a recommendation on adequate minimum income, to be reached by 2030, in an effort to combat social exclusion, promote gender equality and economic independence of women, young adults and persons with disabilities.
ECtHR: Ukraine, MH-17 cases against Russia Are Admissible

January 31, 2023

The European Court of Human Rights has said cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia over alleged human rights violations in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, and the shooting down of Flight MH-17, were admissible.
ECtHR Rules that Book Featuring Same-Sex Marriage is Suitable for Children

January 25, 2023

In the first case of its kind, the European Court of Human Rights has found that the censure of a children’s fairy tale book featuring a same-sex marriage violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which refers to the freedom of expression.
In Landmark Ruling, the ECtHR orders Russia to Allow Same-Sex Unions

January 19, 2023

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Moscow must recognize same-sex marriages, citing that there has been a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights when Russia denied to recognize marriage of same-sex couples.
EU Aims to Finalize Climate Laws by Summer

January 11, 2023

Under the new Swedish presidency, the EU aims to finalize climate laws to reach 2030 climate change target by July, including a 2035 ban on all new fossil fuel cars.