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. Dear President, dear Executive Vice-President, dear Commissioners, In an attack on the EU fundamental rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom…
Ahead of the College of Commissioners’ visit to India, Amnesty International and 11 other NGOs urge EU leaders to step up their engagement with their Indian counterparts in light of the profound human rights crisis in the country. Dear President von der Leyen, Dear Commissioners, As the College of Commissioners prepares to visit India amid…
In an open letter to the editor of Euractiv, Amnesty International responded to the ‘The Brief – Never again?‘ published on 27 January 2025. Dear sir, It is with shock but not surprise that we at Amnesty International read Euractiv’s editor in chief, Matthew Karnitschnig’s, The Brief – Never again? published on 27 January. In…
As Poland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2025, Amnesty International sets out recommendations for its mandate in a letter to Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland. Dear Prime Minister Tusk, Poland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) at a critical moment, and…
Letter in support: Vote in favour of the resolution on the human rights of sex workers We, the undersigned organisations, welcome the draft resolution entitled “Protecting the human rights and improving the lives of sex workers and victims of sexual exploitation” (Doc. 16044), adopted by the Equality and Non Discrimination Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly…
Joint Statement: EU Should Press India to End Rights Abuses The European Union should press the government of India to immediately act to end serious human rights violations in the country, five organizations said today, ahead of the EU-India human rights dialogue scheduled for August 20, 2024. The Indian Government should reverse its abusive and…
Responding to the passing of anti-LGBTI legal amendments to the education law that ban providing education and information about “non-traditional sexual orientation” or “gender identity different from the biological sex” in schools, Nayden Rashkov, Amnesty International Bulgaria’s Director, said: “These homophobic and transphobic legal amendments will further stigmatize LGBTI people, exposing them to greater discrimination in…
The European Union was founded on the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Yet too many people continue to face discrimination and inequality across the Union, including intersectional and multiple forms of discrimination in all aspects of their lives.[1] In the current climate, it is now imperative that the EU institutions strengthen their resolve to take…
This submission, prepared for the first thematic evaluation round of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), provides an overview of Amnesty International’s main concerns about the Dutch government’s compliance with its obligations under the Istanbul Convention. Those concerns include the protection of women against psychological violence and…
This submission details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in relation to Ukraine and outlines key recommendations that the EU should address in the framework of Ukraine’s EU accession process as well as other ongoing engagement, including the forthcoming EU-Ukraine human rights dialogue. Ukraine’s path to EU membership opens the door for strengthened engagement, additional avenues…
This submission details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in relation to Türkiye and outlines key recommendations that the EU should prioritize in the framework of Türkiye’s EU accession process as well as in its broader bilateral relations with the country. Indeed, whether in the framework of the EU accession process or the EU-Türkiye association agreement,…
Today, the Council of the EU officially adopted the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence.1 As 13 civil society organisations2 which advocate for human rights, gender equality, and the right for all to live free from violence, we welcome this first ever binding EU legislation on this issue as a groundbreaking…