Tag: Council of Europe
Georgia in turmoil, is Hungary next?
Some Georgians fear that the introduction of such a law would undermine the country’s chances of joining the EU. The opposition has vowed to continue protesting until the government formalizes the repeal of the law and releases all arrested protesters, but has later called for parliament to resign. Interestingly, the Foreign Agent Law (also known […]
Increased security during the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavík
The Office of the Police Commander-in-Chief has issued a warning to the police chiefs of the Nordic countries and their offices, informing them of the possibility of formally requesting assistance in connection with the Council of Europe summit, which will take place this spring in Reykjavík. Hundreds of police officers from all national police districts […]
PACE Summit in Reykjavik
The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is meeting today in Reykjavik at the Harpa Concert Hall. The meeting will be attended by over 60 members of the Assembly from 46 countries. The event is hosted by the Government of Iceland and its speaker, Birgir Ármannsson, opened with an […]
The European Council summit in Reykjavik
Next May, Iceland will host the summit of the European Council, which currently includes 46 countries. It will be the largest meeting of leaders and ministers ever held in Iceland. In a statement on the website of the Government Council, it was stated that Iceland is taking over the presidency of the Council of Europe […]
GRETA conducts the third evaluation visit to Sweden – Measures against human trafficking
A delegation from the Council of Europe’s expert group on measures against human trafficking (GRETA) conducted an evaluation visit to Sweden on 24-28 October 2022 as part of the third evaluation round of Convention on Measures Against Trafficking in Human Beings. The focus of this evaluation round of the convention is on victims of human […]
5 years ago, Catalonia declared its independence
Faced with this Spanish reaction, the Catalan government of Carles Puigdemont found no other option than to declare the independence of Catalonia, for which the people had voted. The declaration of independence was unanimously approved by the Catalan Parliament and has now been declared historically. More than 70 countries expressed their views on the issue, […]
Catalonia declared independence 5 years ago
Faced with this Spanish reaction, the Catalan government of Carles Puigdemont found no other option than to declare the independence of Catalonia, for which the people had voted. The declaration of independence was unanimously approved by the Catalan Parliament and has now been declared historically. More than 70 countries expressed their views on the issue, […]
Macron’s summit of the European Political Community begins in Prague
Leaders from 44 European countries will gather in Prague on Thursday to launch a European political community aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity. Critics say the new forum is an attempt to slow EU enlargement. The meeting in the Czech capital is the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron, with the support of German […]
Landscape Day invites you to experience and photograph the landscape
Go on a scenic walk or participate in a photo contest In honor of Landscape Day, various campaigns, competitions and guided landscape walks are organized, which offer many opportunities to get to know landscapes from new perspectives. In connection with the Landscape Day, a landscape photography competition is organized with the theme “own landscape”. Photos […]
Stefan Krakowski
Stefan Krakowski is an author, writer and chief physician in psychiatry, who has received attention for the book “Incel – about involuntary celibacy and a male role in crisis”. He works in emergency and inpatient psychiatry in Sweden but has also worked as a Swedish representative in the Human Rights Committee of the Council of […]
Finland is not revising the laws amid pressure from Turkey, Henriksson repeats
The Kurds of Finland have been worried that the country could give in to the demands and, for example, subject them to surveillance and provide information about them to the Turkish authorities. The surrender issue has also become a topic of discussion after the signing of the memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Turkey in Madrid, […]
Finland will comply with the same international extradition agreements, says the Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP) has said that Finland continues to follow the same international agreements on extradition as before. "In other words, the legal process is exactly the same and each case is handled separately," he said. Henriksson’s comments come after his Turkish Bekir Bozdag told Russian NTV that Turkey was seeking the […]
International Round-Up: Foreign Minister says Denmark will use development aid funds to rebuild Ukraine
Jeppe Kofod, the Danish foreign minister, has said that “some of the money” to rebuild Ukraine must come from Denmark’s development aid funds, reports Jyllands-Posten. The potential allocation of additional development money for reconstruction in Ukraine has drawn criticism from parties such as the Unity List, which says it will do so at the expense […]
The Ministry of Health is publishing its plans to combat the sexual exploitation of children
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published a 33-step action plan to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The strategy, which includes cooperation between parents, teachers, law enforcement authorities and other organizations, is part of Finland’s obligation to comply with the EU Convention, which aims to combat all forms of sexual exploitation of […]
It’s time for Canada Infrastructure Bank to take back its public purpose
The Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB), a federal state financial institution, opened its doors five years ago with great promise, promising to invest $ 35 billion in investments for “the next generation of infrastructure that Canadians need.” But instead of investing public money in public services, CIB has instead privatized our water, transportation and electricity. For […]
Former President Halonen: Optimism about Russia was justified
"The reason why I was very positive, and I think for a good reason, was that Russia joined the Council of Europe in 1996." Former President of Finland Tarja Halonen told Yle. Halonen served as President of Finland for two terms, 2000-2012. At that time, Russia accepted the Council’s principles on democracy, human rights and […]
Russia is no longer a member of the Council of Europe
Russia is no longer part of the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights monitoring organization, following its invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, Russia announced that it would leave, and on Wednesday, the 47 countries’ COE made it official. Following the decision, members of the COE went outside the organization’s headquarters in Strasbourg and […]
The Council of Europe urges Russia to withdraw recognition of the two separatist regions of eastern Ukraine
“We call on the Russian Federation to repeal this decision and to refrain from further aggravating the situation. We urge Member States to resolve their differences through dialogue based on respect for the principles enshrined in the Council of Europe and the EU Charter.” Earlier today, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that […]
Latvian NGOs demand that the Finnish authorities stop prosecuting Päivi Räsänen
Finland is a democratic country close to Latvia and has for many years been an example in building and consolidating a democratic society in which every citizen has the right to express his or her views with dignity on the basis of his or her religious and philosophical beliefs. Latvian NGOs believe that the accusations […]
MP Kimmo Kiljunen demands an impartial international inquiry into the situation in Kazakhstan
“At the same time, Kazakhstan’s independence and sovereignty must be nurtured, as must respect for freedom of expression, including guarantees of freedom of the media and fair consultation of citizens. As a means of overcoming the current crisis “The outcome of this process could in its own way heal the wounds and pave the way […]
UNWTO and the Council of Europe promote cultural routes
The joint actions aim to recognize the added value of cultural routes for the sustainable development of tourism, the protection of cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue. Cooperation will also further emphasize the potential of the routes to promote social, economic and cultural development, which will benefit both Europe and its partner countries by strengthening cultural […]
The Turkish NGO won the Finnish Equality Award
The Turkish NGO We Will Stop Femicide, which focuses on combating violence against women, was awarded the Finnish International Equality Prize on Monday 2021. The grant, first established by the Finnish state in 2017, is given to a person or organization with "promoted gender equality in a significant way worldwide." The value of this year’s […]
National Round-Up: COVID-19 infection tracking delayed due to lack of contact information
Always the same number Another concern at PSA involves people not answering calls when they call or answering text messages they send after a missed call. The number that PSA calls from when reaching the public is always from the number 32320511. First time for election observers A delegation of eight election observers from the […]
Turkey calls on the Finnish ambassador to support political prisoners
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has called on the ambassadors of ten countries, including Finland, to be reprimanded after their embassies have jointly submitted a petition calling for the release of a Turkish activist. The ambassadors’ petition called for the immediate release of the Turkish benefactor Osman Kavala who has been in prison for years without […]
Turkey summons ten foreign ambassadors following a call for the activist’s release
ANKARA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) – Turkey’s foreign ministry on Tuesday called on ambassadors in ten countries, including the United States, to issue a joint statement demanding the release of imprisoned activist and businessman Osman Kavala. The ministry said the joint statement on an ongoing lawsuit was “contrary to diplomatic practice and was unacceptable”. The ambassadors’ […]
Waiting time for family reunification is shortened following European judgment
The government will present a bill that shortens the requirement for how long people with temporary protection status must have a residence permit in Denmark before they can have spouses and children to Denmark. This is the result of a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), according to the Ministry of Immigration […]
Handcuffs and controls must stop prisoner escape
The measures are part of a bill that Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup (S) sent for consultation on Friday. The bill proposes that prison officers should be able to use handcuffs more often. This may be in situations where prisoners need to be transported or where they behave violently towards staff. In those situations, one […]
The government will prevent prisoner escapes with more handcuffs
This happens, among other things, in the wake of a number of prisoner escapes. For example, last year the convicted murderer Peter Madsen briefly managed to escape from Herstedvester Prison. The bill, which was sent out for consultation on Friday, allows prison officers to use handcuffs more often. This may be in situations where prisoners […]
Turkey is withdrawing from the Convention on the Rights of Women in its latest move towards an Islamic Republic
The convention signed by Turkey in 2011 was the culmination of more than a decade of work by European Union agencies. develop a framework combating violence and exploitation against women. The articles in the Convention focus mainly on the prevention of domestic violence, the protection of victims and the prosecution of accused offenders. Another key […]
Immigration office condemned for withdrawing support for asylum seekers
As Fréttablaðið reports, the Church of Iceland issued a resolution condemning the immigration office for withdrawing housing and food assistance for asylum seekers who are to be deported. Aid was taken from 14 men, most of them Palestinian, after they refused to undergo the COVID-19 tests as a condition for their deportation to Greece. Hundreds […]
Finland presents a plan to use the EU’s share of the Covid-19 incentive
The Treasury minister Matti Vanhanen (Center) estimated at yesterday’s press conference that the plan is not a recovery plan in the traditional sense of the term, but rather a reform program. “Past national recovery efforts have supported existing ones; reforms are key priorities here,” he explained. The plan consists of four pillars, of which € […]
European Supreme Court rulings The UK system of mass surveillance violated human rights
The case was brought by Amnesty International, Liberty, Privacy International and several other rights organizations against whistleblowers Edward SnowdenThe 2013 revelation that the UK intelligence service GCHQ intercepted and secretly handled the private communications of millions of people on a daily basis. “The unhindered harvesting and processing of private communications by millions of people must […]
Social Democrat members oppose the government’s new migration law
Several of the Social Democrats’ members of parliament are now criticizing the government’s proposal for a new migration law – and have even chosen to make reservations in the parliamentary group, something that is unusual. “The situation we have reached now is very unfortunate, and not something I want to stand behind,” says Thomas Hammarberg […]
Denmark wants to influence French case: Can decide responsibility for Syria children
This is stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a written comment. – The basic view in the Danish post is that participating states cannot be liable under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for matters over which they have no effective control, and that the Human Rights Court should therefore maintain its […]
Norwegian Secretary of State in talks with Belarusian opposition leader
“We are impressed by the courage and perseverance of the Belarussian people, and by the exhausting efforts of Mrs Tikhanovskaya,” he said. State Secretary Audun Halvorsen. State Secretary Audun Halvorsen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today had political talks with the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. ‘We are very concerned about the situation […]
The European Court of Justice demands answers on climate work
The European Court of Justice requires that the 33 countries in the Council of Europe, including Sweden, report by 27 May on how climate work relates to the goals of the Paris Agreement. The background is a lawsuit against the countries of the Council of Europe that six Portuguese young people submitted to the court […]
Austria is being blamed for corruption
Austria receives sharp criticism from the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption unit. In four years, Austria has rejected only 2 of the 19 measures that the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption unit wanted to see remedied immediately. At the same time, a new corruption scandal is reaching ever higher levels in the Austrian government.
Thursday’s newspapers: Tighter border controls likely, allegations of political bias, deadly cold
Morning magazines, including the country’s largest daily circulation, Helsingin sanomat newspaperspeculate that the prime minister’s government Sanna Marin (SDP) is prepared to impose stricter travel restrictions by stopping almost all cross – border traffic than necessary business travel. In addition, testing at airports, seaports and land borders is likely to increase significantly. HS took over […]
No covid deaths in prisons in Sweden
According to the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, no inmates in Swedish prisons or prisons have died of covid-19 during the pandemic. European countries have released tens of thousands of people from prisons and institutions during the pandemic to reduce congestion and prevent the spread of infection, but Sweden, which instead had an opposite trend […]
Committee of Experts demands more German radio and television in Denmark
– It is necessary to take concrete steps in close cooperation with the German-speakers to offer radio and television broadcasts in German at an appropriate level, the committee writes in the report. Special reference is made to new media. It is also pointed out that transmissions on television and radio play a significant role in […]
Authorities reject criticism of detention center considered ‘not suitable for humans’
Despite a condemning report published at the beginning of the year, the Danish authorities this week have swept aside criticism and recommendations regarding the detention center Ellebæk. The center houses unsuccessful asylum seekers who do not want to be sent home. They are kept there for fear of avoiding involuntary repatriation. One of the worst […]
Torture Committee is disappointed with use of Copenhagen prison
The Council of Europe’s Torture Committee finds it “disappointing” that the Danish authorities expect to continue to use Politigårdens Prison, whose conditions according to the committee are unsuitable for longer stays. A response from the Ministry of Justice to the Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT), published this week, states: – […]
Denmark rejects report on violence and racism in Ellebæk
On most points, the Danish authorities reject the criticism that the Council of Europe’s torture committee raised in January against the conditions at the Ellebæk Immigration Center. This is evident from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response to a large number of criticisms and recommendations. The answer is more than 100 pages and has been […]
