On 27 May, EU Ministers will meet at the General Affairs Council (GAC) to hold yet another hearing on the situation in Hungary under Article 7.1 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). In a joint open letter to EU ministers, Amnesty International and 5 other human rights organisations call for concrete EU action to address Hungary’s erosion of human rights and the rule of law.
In a joint open letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath, Amnesty International and 325 other civil society organisations raise the alarm on the new Hungarian bill entitled “Transparency of Public Life”, which would enable the government to target, defund and dissolve any organisation it designates as “a threat to Hungarian sovereignty”.
Reacting to the EU’s decision to initiate a review of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under international law under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Eve Geddie the Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said:
Responding to the European Commission’s proposal to amend the ‘safe third country’ concept by allowing EU member states to forcibly send people seeking asylum to countries where they have no connection, without the possibility to appeal from the EU, Olivia Sundberg Diez, Amnesty International’s EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum, said:
Amnesty International is presenting this submission to the European Commission ahead of the preparation of its 2025 Enlargement Package. It details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns and outlines key recommendations that the EU should prioritize in the framework of Serbia’s EU accession process as well as any other ongoing engagement with the authorities.
In an open letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa, Amnesty International and 57 other human rights organizations, media freedom groups, journalists’ organisations and representatives of the international legal community raise our profound concern over the extraordinary assault by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the right to political participation, the rule of law and human rights in Türkiye and call for an effective and robust response by the EU, its member states and its institutions.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists (the ICJ) and the undersigned organizations are encouraged by steps taken towards the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, although regrettably final details on the mechanism’s legal framework, including its Statute, have not been made public. In this regard, the organizations call on the Council of Europe to urgently publish the draft Statute of the Tribunal to ensure the transparent and inclusive participation of civil society, especially victims and survivors, as the Tribunal is established and, certainly, in its proceedings.
In response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on ‘EU-India relations – new comprehensive strategic approach’, Amnesty International made the following submission.
The following letter was sent to President Ursula von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner Michael McGrath, and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib of the European Commission by 23 LGBTI and human rights organisations.
The European Union should defend the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid serious attacks on its mandate and mission, 58 nongovernmental groups said today. These attacks could undermine justice for victims of serious international crimes around the world, making urgent EU action to uphold the international rules-based order.
Amnesty International has provided a submission to the European Commission’s consultation on the EU Anti-Torture Regulation – amendment to Annexes II and III.
Responding to reports that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has invited and plans to host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hungary on Wednesday, Erika Guevara-Rosas the head of Global Research, Advocacy and Policy of Amnesty International said: