Responding to the Court of Justice of the European Union’s finding today that Lithuanian national law, which orders the automatic detention of people who cross irregularly into the country and effectively denies them the right to asylum, is incompatible with EU laws, said Nils Muižnieks, Europe Regional Director of Amnesty International:
As the Czech Republic government prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), Amnesty International calls to ensure that human rights are at the forefront of the Czech presidency’s mandate. This presidency comes at a time of increased challenges in Europe, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its implications for the international human rights system, backsliding on the rule of law, the growing anti-gender movement and the discriminatory treatment of asylum seekers.
Lithuanian authorities have arbitrarily detained thousands of people in militarized centres, where they have been subjected to inhumane conditions, torture and other ill-treatment, Amnesty International said today. In a new report, the organization documents how refugees and migrants have been held for months on end in squalid, prison-like centres in Lithuania, where they are denied access to fair asylum procedures and subjected to other serious human rights violations in the hope that they will ‘voluntarily’ return to the countries they fled from.
Joint letter on behalf of the civil society organisations acting at local, national and European level, calling on the European Commission to include in the work programme of 2023 a proposal for a European Civil Society Strategy.
European leaders are putting short term interests ahead of human rights by supporting the Egyptian government as it continues its assault on human rights, said Amnesty International today, ahead of meetings at the EU-Egypt Association Council on Sunday 19 June 2022 and Monday 20 June 2022.
On behalf of the undersigned Polish and international non-governmental organisations working for the rule of law and the protection of human rights and freedoms in the European Union, we feel obliged to send to you another open letter regarding recent events in the Polish justice system, hoping for the Commission to take firm and immediate action. Our serious concern is the continued operation of the Polish National Council of the Judiciary (NCJ), which has lost its independence as a result of legislative changes initiated in 2017. The functioning of the NCJ in its current form, in subordination to political authorities, undermines the guarantees of effective judicial protection (the second subparagraph of Article 19(1) TEU), the right to a court established by law (Article 47 of the Charter) and the effectiveness of the preliminary ruling procedure (Article 267 TFEU). As a result of its activities, the NCJ weakens confidence in Polish courts and, above all, the protection of the value of the rule of law, on which the entire Union is founded (Article 2 TEU).
Civil Society Organizations are writing ahead of the upcoming EU-Egypt Association Council meeting to urge HR/VP Borrell and EU member states’ Foreign Ministers to use this opportunity to raise concerns over serious human rights violations and crimes under international law perpetrated by Egyptian authorities, and to set concrete and measurable human rights benchmarks as criteria for progress in the EU-Egypt bilateral relations.
European Union institutions are failing to end the rampant human rights violations committed with spyware, Amnesty International said today, after the organization independently confirmed new attacks using Pegasus spyware against prominent Catalans.
Four former crew members of the search and rescue ship Iuventa, which saved the lives of thousands of people in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, will this week find out if they are to face criminal charges for their lifesaving work. On 21 May, preliminary hearings are set to begin at the Court of Trapani, where a judge will decide whether the Iuventa crew should be charged with “facilitating illegal entry” of refugees and migrants to Italy. They could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty at trial.
Letter ahead of the EU General Affairs Council’s meeting on 23 May 2022, on the situation of the rule of law and other Article 2 TEU values in Hungary.
I. Uphold international justice, provide relief and assistance to civiliansII. Address the crackdown on human rights in RussiaIII. Support human rights defenders in Ukraine and Russia andIV. Ensure protection for refugees fleeing Ukraine.
The European Union’s proposed batteries regulation should require importers and manufacturers to source the bauxite, copper, and iron used in batteries responsibly, a coalition of 13 organizations said today. The coalition includes Amnesty International, Earthworks, Finnwatch, Germanwatch, Human Rights Watch, Inclusive Development International, INKOTA, PowerShift, RAID, SOMO, and Transport & Environment, as well as human rights and environmental activists from producer countries.