The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says that with the threat of war at its doorstep, the Schengen area should be further strengthened through better police and judicial cooperation, with its internal borders kept open The war in Ukraine, which has caused an unprecedented flow of refugees to seek shelter in the EU, points to…
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…
On 9 May in Berlin, a Ukrainian 1+1 TV crew was attacked by Russians celebrating Victory Day. The incident unfolded in Treptow Park outside the Soviet Soldier memorial. According to TV host Natalia Moseichuk, the day earlier, on May 8, the Ukrainian diaspora together with Ukrainian diplomats laid wreaths and flowers at the memorial to…
Hong Kong’s Election Committee has selected John Lee Ka-chiu, the sole candidate to the post of Chief Executive on 8 May 2022. This was the first selection process since the imposition of the National Security Law and the implementation of sweeping changes in Hong Kong’s electoral system. Preceding his selection, Lee was vetted by the…
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,…
The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have welcomed proposals from the Commission to end the use of abusive lawsuits against journalists, NGOs and civil society in the EU. In November 2021, the European Parliament called for new EU rules to stop abusive legal action intended to intimidate and silence critical voices. A large…
A debate in Brussels discussed the annual report of the Council of Europe Platform for the safety of Journalists. The report, “Defending Press Freedom in Times of Tension and Conflict”, illustrates the dangers journalists face in their work both within the EU and beyond its borders. It covers issues including the impact of the war…
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…
While Russia is targeted by economic sanctions, importers are actively seeking for the ways to evade them. Money transfer and logistics are the key issues to their strategies. According to open source intelligence (OSINT), the Kremlin may be opting for the following ways to avoid the restrictions imposed by sanctions. Running entities in third countries…
