• Amnesty International spokespeople available for interview • Press conference opposite administrative court of Paris at 11.00 25 April

Eve Geddie has been appointed as Head of Amnesty International European Institutions Office and Director of Advocacy, where she will spearhead the organisation’s work advocating towards the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE).

Reacting to the news that an Ankara administrative appeals court has today lifted the blanket ban on all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex events in place in the capital since November 2017, Fotis Filippou, Campaigns Director for Europe at Amnesty International said:

Responding to a news report that more than 700 refugees and migrants in Libya were trapped in a detention centre in Qasr bin Ghasher in close proximity to intense armed clashes in Tripoli, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Magdalena Mughrabi, said:

Dear High Representative Mogherini,

European Union leaders should press their Chinese counterparts on the deteriorating human rights situation in the country during the EU-China Summit in Brussels on April 9, 2019, five human rights groups said today. They should amplify concerns raised during the EU-China human rights dialogue on April 1-2 and call on Chinese authorities to close “political education” camps in Xinjiang and free imprisoned dissidents.

Dear Minister,On 9 April, the General Affairs Council will hold another exchange of views on the state of play of the Article 7(1) TEU procedure concerning Hungary. It will be the fifth time the Council addresses the situation in Hungary in this format since the adoption of the European Parliament’s reasoned proposal on 12 September 2018. However, no discussion has been held to date on the substantial matters raised therein.

Responding to a decision by the European Commission to launch an infringement procedure to protect judges in Poland from political control, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe, Massimo Moratti said:

Reacting to reports that EU governments have agreed to significantly downscale the EunavforMed Operation ‘Sophia’, withdrawing ships from the central Mediterranean and only continuing the mission with air surveillance, Matteo de Bellis, Amnesty International’s Migration Researcher, said:

History is unlikely to remember the details of whatever position the European Union takes on trade, security or climate change during its summit with China next month.

Today the cross-party European Parliament Working Group on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC Group) announced a bold Shadow EU Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct outlining the necessary steps to ensuring a globally responsible and accountable European business sector.

Dear President Tusk,