It’s outrageous that in 2014 authorities around the world are failing to legislate against or investigate homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. Even more grating is the fact that in many countries LGBTI people are themselves the target of criminal charges and state violence. Everyone should be able to enjoy all their human rights without discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia: Why LGBTI Prides are about human rights

This was a tragedy that should have been avoided. The long history of deaths in mines in Turkey raises chilling questions over workers’ safety. The fact that the government rejected recent calls by parliamentarians to investigate serious work-related accidents is nothing short of shocking. They are playing with people’s lives.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT

On 20 March, Amnesty International and activists created a sandy beach on the shores of the European institutions to highlight the human rights violations taking place against asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants at our borders, but away from the public eye.

Torture is not just alive and well – it is flourishing in many parts of the world. As more governments seek to justify torture in the name of national security, the steady progress made in this field over the last thirty years is being eroded.

12/05/2014 – Amnesty International fears that the Serbian authorities will ban the 2014 Pride. The 2011, 2012 and 2013 Pride marches were cancelled, after the Serbian authorities had claimed that the police did not have the capacity to ensure adequate security conditions in the face of “serious security threats”.

09/05/2014 – Ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on Monday 12 May, Amnesty International calls on you to ensure that, in line with previous FAC decisions, all transfers of equipment that can be used for “internal repression” will remain suspended to Egypt and Ukraine until the relevant authorities have taken appropriate measures to address the concerns which have led to the suspensions.

A caged activist at a protest in Vienna symbolizes the many prisoners of conscience still detained in Azerbaijan, May 2014. © Amnesty International

Those in power continue to show an absolute disregard for any dissenting voices in Azerbaijan. The international community including members of the Council of Europe must remind Azerbaijan on all occasions of its human rights obligations.

06/05/2014 – Amnesty International’s report “Behind bars: Silencing dissent in Azerbaijan” records human rights violations in Azerbaijan and particularly an increased clampdown on freedom of expression, assembly, and association following the 9 October 2013 elections. The important role that Azerbaijan is about to assume comes with significant responsibilities to lead the Council of Europe’s work for the defence and promotion of human rights across the continent. It is a role which must, inevitably, expose its bearer to greater scrutiny of its human rights record. The organisation therefore urges the Committee of Ministers to give this matter its critical attention and urge the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all 19 prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan, and fully respect and protect the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.