Letter to Mr Louis Michel, President of the Council of the European Union and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

On the eve of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, in Brussels for talks with EU policy-makers, issued a strong appeal for the European Union to take a global lead in efforts to protect human rights in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks.

Security and refugee protection: the human rights agenda for the Laeken Summit and Appeal by Amnesty International

Click here to link to the Amnesty International report: “Appeal to the European Union and Commonwealth” (AI Index AFR 46/010/2001).

Amnesty International is issuing an urgent appeal to European Union leaders to exert their influence through the Cotonou Agreement, following the arrest yesterday of the head of Amnesty International in Gambia, Mr Lamine Sillah, and 13 others including a leading member of Gambia’s opposition Dr Moudou Manneh.

The continued deterioriation of the human rights situation in Tunisia – Joint letter by human rights organizations to Louis Michel, President-in-office of the Council and Belgian Foreign Minister.

Link to the report – ” The Backlash – human rights at risk throughout the world” (AI Index ACT 30/027/2001).

As EU leaders prepare to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Brussels tomorrow, Amnesty International warns the EU against trading human rights in their efforts to shore up the global anti-terrorist coalition. Amnesty International calls on EU leaders to make a public commitment about their continuing concerns over Russian human rights abuses in Chechnya.

At this crucial time, with global tensions running high, Amnesty International in Brussels today launched an appeal to EU leaders to show greater moral and political leadership to safeguard the international protection of refugees. The appeal coincides with this week’s Justice and Home Affairs Council (27-28 th September) which is due to discuss key issues regarding the EU’s asylum procedures.

As Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi arrives in Brussels today for talks on a proposed Cooperation Agreement with the European Union, Amnesty International has called on the EU to ensure that the human rights clause in such an agreement is given real substance, given the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

Amnesty International calls on the European Union to uphold its own human rights principles by raising China’s deteriorating human rights record at the highest level during the EU-China summit in Brussels on Wednesday 5 September.