Human Rights

CoE Report Warns of Eroding Press Freedom in Europe

February 12, 2019

Through its Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, the Council of Europe (CoE) has issued a report warning of the “fragile” state of press freedom in Europe due both to the targeting of journalists for violence and harassment and to efforts by governments to control the media.
ECtHR Finds Sanction Against Lawyer “Excessive”

February 12, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has determined that Portugal violated a lawyer’s right to freedom of expression by imposing what the Court considered to be an excessive fine on the lawyer for questioning the integrity of a judge.
CoE Official Targets Hungary on NGO, Migration Policies

February 12, 2019

Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has called on the Hungarian government to address its “many interconnected human rights challenges” by, among other things, expanding the space in which NGOs and journalists can work and returning to a “regular asylum procedure” for migrants.
ECtHR Dismisses Challenges to Turkish Military Campaign

February 12, 2019

Voice of America reports that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has dismissed cases brought on behalf of civilians killed in a broad Turkish security operation targeting separatists from the Kurdish PKK organization, finding the claimants had failed to exhaust their domestic remedies in what critics say is a failed judicial system.
ECtHR: Public Statements Violated Former Official’s Trial Rights

February 11, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office and a Bulgarian lawmaker had violated the right of a former official to presumption of innocence by indicating the former official was guilty of embezzling public funds prior to her criminal proceedings.
ECtHR: Belgium Violated Prisoner’s Right to Psychological Treatment

February 11, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that Belgian authorities violated the rights of a man to liberty and against inhuman or degrading treatment by failing to effectively treat his mental-health problems using doctors who spoke his native language of German.
Unions Push for UK Commitment to EU Standards After Brexit

February 06, 2019

The Guardian reports that British trade union leaders are demanding that Prime Minister Theresa May include provisions in her Brexit deal with the EU committing the UK to follow EU standards on worker rights and environmental protection after Britain leaves the bloc.
EU Agency Calls on Governments to Address Climate Change Impacts

February 06, 2019

The European Environment Agency has published a report calling on EU member states to do more to reduce the exposure of their citizens to air and noise pollution and to extreme heat, including by pursuing “climate change adaptation” policies to address the higher frequency of heat waves.
EC Applauds Companies' Response to “Hate Speech”

February 05, 2019

Fortune reports that the European Commission (EC) is applauding the response of internet companies to EU pressure, through a code of conduct backed up by the threat of regulation, to crack down on “illegal hate speech” on their platforms by evaluating increasing levels of “suspect content” within 24 hours of users reporting it.
EU Agency Proposes Broad Ban on Microplastics

February 05, 2019

The Guardian reports that the European Chemicals Agency has proposed EU legislation banning microplastics that manufacturers intentionally add to products - representing about 90 percent of such microplastic pollutants.