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…
Reacting to a parliamentary vote rejecting amendments to Bulgarian law which would have criminalized the provision of gender-affirming healthcare for minors, Nayden Rashkov, Amnesty International Bulgaria’s Director, said: “It is a huge relief that this attempt to impose draconian fines and even prison sentences on healthcare professionals who provide gender-affirming healthcare to trans and intersex children…
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…
Dear Minister, On 25 June, the EU General Affairs Council is set to examine the situation in Hungary under Article 7.1 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Ahead of this meeting, our organisations once again call on your leadership to take the Article 7.1 TEU procedure against Hungary forward, by issuing recommendations to the…
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…
Reacting to announcement of the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, Eve Geddie said: “Today’s agreement is deeply disappointing and falls far short of the historic step forward in the…
On 24 January, as final negotiations on the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence are taking place, Amnesty International and 11 other NGOs called on negotiators to take effective action and ensure that a robust Directive is urgently adopted. An open letter to negotiators in the Belgian Presidency of the Council…
The LGBTI+ community in Türkiye is increasingly the target of discrimination, intimidation and violence, said the European Commission in its 2023 Enlargement Package published last week. It also points out that the activities of LGBTI+ organisations continue to be unduly restricted, LGBTI+ people and human rights defenders continue to be targeted with legal sanctions for…
As interinstitutional negotiations on the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence reach a crucial phase, Amnesty International and 11 other civil society organisations call on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to find meaningful compromises, to ensure that the Directive truly…