Rule of Law in the EU

The S&D Group in the European parliament said it welcomes the latest annual assessment on the rule of law in the EU but expresses concerns that the report will fail to improve the situation in the Member States without clear and specific recommendation to EU governments. Domènec Ruiz Devesa, S&D MEP who led the Parliament’s work…

North Atlantic Council condemns malicious cyber activities

We observe with increasing concern that cyber threats to the security of the Alliance are complex, destructive, coercive, and becoming ever more frequent. This has been recently illustrated by ransomware incidents and other malicious cyber activity, targeting our critical infrastructure and democratic institutions, as well as exploiting weaknesses in hardware and software supply chains. We…

Hungary Criticised for Dismantling Democracy and Rule of Law

Budapest Parliament

The European Parliament “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the recent anti-LGBTI legislation and denounces the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. In a resolution, adopted with 459 in favour 147 against, and 58 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs describe the Hungarian law as being in clear breach of fundamental rights enshrined…

Stop Discrimination and Homophobic Hate Crime in Europe

Stop discrimination and homophobic hate crime

S&D MEPs are urging the Commission and Member States to stand up for LGBTI people in Europe by acting against the offensive and regressive law that blatantly violates their rights in Hungary. The law introduced by Orbán’s government stigmatises and discriminates against LGBTI people by banning content referring to homosexuality, sex change or gender identity…

Peaceful Protests in Tbilisi Attacked While Government Does Nothing

Tbilisi Pride

At least twenty journalists have been attacked by far-right hate groups gathered in a counter-rally against today’s Tbilisi Pride March, according to the latest reports. In addition, Far-right crowds that gathered on Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue last night to prevent Tbilisi Pride March set for later today, dismantled tents erected by opposition and civic activists outside the…

High Court in London quashes extradition order for Gabriel Popoviciu, as his “extraordinary” Romanian conviction was a “flagrant denial of justice”

On 11 June 2021, the High Court in London handed down judgment quashing an order for the extradition to Romania of Mr Gabriel Popoviciu, a high-profile, successful Romanian businessman. The Court described Mr Popoviciu’s case as “extraordinary”. The Court found that there was credible evidence to show that the trial judge who convicted Mr Popoviciu…

First arrest of the Kremlin hacker?

Kremlin, Moscow

On 8th June, Gotham City media outlet reported that on 21 March Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin was arrested in Switzerland at the request of the American authorities. Moreover, it took the US authorities only 24 hours to secure his arrest. Shortly afterwards, Ingrid Raiser, a spokeswoman for the Federal Office of Justice, told Agence France-Presse…

Defending CAR, or Guarding King Solomon’s Mines?

UN Troops in CAR

The hottest topic in the Central African Republic (CAR) with local residents and the concerned international community alike is the continued need for the presence of UN troops in the CAR.  Pundits have slammed the inefficiency of UN peacekeeping missions, since those deployed to conflict-torn countries generally fail to deliver on the main aim of…

Nameless but Not Forgotten –

Tank Man

Remembering the Tank Men of Tiananmen Square June 4 marks the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in which thousands of civilians were brutally murdered by the Chinese Communist Party’s death squads, writes Jianli Yang. Thirty-two years later, most of the survivors, including myself, have become parents and grandparents. But despite the passage of time,…