On 19 July Ukrainian journalists Dmitriy Gordon and Yevgeny Kiselev were put on a criminal wanted list in Russia. The reason behind this decision was the anti-Putin stance of these writers and their criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The realities of modern Russia are such that simply being suspected of disloyalty to the government…
Human Rights
UN spotlight to be on Benin over imprisonment of political opponents
Due to the continued imprisonment of two prominent opposition leaders, the Brussels-based organisation Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) has filed a report with the United Nations ‘Universal Periodic Review’ (UPR) for Benin, voicing concerns about human rights abuses in the country. The report focuses on the situation of two opposition figures Reckya Madougou and Joël…
EESC July Plenary Debates Gender Equality
At its July plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debated the Commission’s draft directive to tackle gender-based violence and gender equality in presence of Cristina Fabre of the European Institute for Gender Equality. The Committee adopted two opinions with recommendations for making the legislation more effective in combatting such an issue of epidemic…
The Constitution of Uzbekistan and the human right to freedom on the Internet
Today Uzbekistan is implementing large-scale reforms in all directions. Special attention is paid to the guarantees of individual rights and freedoms in the course of the ongoing constitutional reform in Uzbekistan. In particular, the Constitution of the country proposes to consolidate the right of everyone to access and free use of the Internet. Doctor of…
China’s Illegal Organ Harvesting on an Industrial Scale
The head of a respected rights group has called for fresh action to tackle the plight faced by Falun Gong practitioners who he says are “in the eye of Communist cyclone.” Willy Fautre, founder and director of Brussels-based Human Rights Without Frontiers was speaking at an online event in Brussels on Wednesday on the current…
From Podium to Humanitarian Powerhouse: Julia Gershun’s Battle for Ukraine’s Children
Former Ukrainian Miss Universe Julia Gershun has spent the last three months in tireless humanitarian efforts to evacuate women and children from Ukraine. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and founder of Peace Committee of Ukraine spoke to James Wilson about the urgent priorities ahead. Before the Russian attack on Ukraine in the early hours of 24…
Russia’s Litany of Deliberate Murder, Violence and Death in Ukraine
The United Nations has confirmed 4,395 civilian deaths resulting from Russia’s outright war against Ukraine and injuries of 5,390 civilians. The statistical update covers the period from February 24 to June 12, according to the UNHCR. Among the dead are 275 children, as well as 451 among the wounded. The organization emphasizes that the real…
The Stories of the Unconquered
The Stories of the Unconquered: the Mariupol Collection of The Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation Mariupol is a city that has become a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance and suffering through the Russian invasion. The cruel enemy turned the city into a cemetery with thousands dead. The witnesses of the tragedy said…
Big Business Torpedoes Commission Draft Law on Human Rights Abuses
The European Commission’s proposal on human rights obligations of companies bears damaging marks from a successful business campaign, a new report claims. A report by lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE) and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) has, they say, “uncovered the astonishing extent to which pro-corporate voices…
Parliament Condemns China’s Repression of Uyghurs
MEPs say they “strongly” condemn the repression of the Uyghur community and other ethnic Turkic people in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang. They said, “These minority groups in China are victims of brutal measures such as mass deportation, political indoctrination, and family separation, restrictions of religious freedom, cultural destruction and extensive use of surveillance.”…