After a two-year absence, Belgian Pride made a comeback this year. More than 120,000 people participated in the Belgian Pride Parade. The streets of the capital were decked out in the colours of the rainbow. It was an opportunity for those taking part to share their message and their demands in a joyful and good-humoured…
The Vatican should more forcefully oppose the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, a retired Hong Kong archbishop who has courageously opposed human rights violations, and Western governments should sanction responsible Hong Kong officials, said Peter Zoehrer, Director of FOREF a Vienna-based, independent human rights organisation. “Cardinal Zen courageously risked his own freedom and security…
Reported systematic forced organ harvesting in China is a serious human rights violation that requires a full, independent and transparent investigation, underlined the S&Ds in regard to last week’s adoption of the European Parliament resolution on this matter. Maria Arena, the S&D negotiator on the resolution on the reports of continued organ harvesting in China, said:…
On 3 May, the World Press Freedom Day, the European Parliament officially launched the call for submissions for entries to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. The Prize rewards on a yearly basis outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy,…
With the public showing unprecedented levels of solidarity with refugees fleeing war, the Socialists and Democrats in Rotterdam spoke to citizens about changing the rules on migration in the EU so that solidarity and fair-sharing of responsibility is always Europe’s first response. As part of a series of citizens debates on the Conference on the…
To turn solidarity with Ukraine into concrete action, the EESC joins the European Parliament initiative “civil society hub” for Ukraine, allowing the NGO Promote Ukraine to use part of its premises at rue de Trèves 74, along with logistical equipment. The official handover ceremony, was held at the EESC Jacques Delors building on 20 April…
The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova addressed the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the expert committee, initiated by the OSCE-states in complying with the Moscow Mechanism, requesting to register the war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. “Sexual violence in armed conflict is qualified as a war…
Human Rights Without Frontiers, a Brussels-based NGO, has appealed to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim A. A. Khan QC, to hold personally accountable and prosecute Vladimir Mikhaïlovitch Goundiaïev, known as Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, for inspiring, inciting, justifying, aiding and abetting war crimes (Art. 8 of the Rome Statute) and crimes…
According to Ukrainian Government data, as of 19th of March 367 Ukrainian children were injured and 205 fell victim to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As this aggression goes on, Russia keeps violating the fundamental rights of children to life and security. By shelling and bombing civilian infrastructure, Russians kill parents and kidnap children on…
The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed that all photographs and video materials published by the authorities in Kyiv, giving evidence of the atrocities committed by the Russian forces in the town of Bucha, are false and a “provocation” on the part of Ukraine. In the statement, Russian military officials cynically noted that in the…
