Newsroom
Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017 awarded to Murat Arslan
The fifth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to Turkish supporter of the independence of the judiciary Murat Arslan. The €60 000 prize was presented at a special ceremony today at the Palais de l’Europe in...
Human Rights Commissioner calls on Spain to investigate allegations of disproportionate use of police force in Catalonia
Today, the Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks published a letter sent on 4 October to Mr Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Minister of the Interior of Spain, in which he raises concerns regarding allegations of disproportionate use of force by law enforcement authorities in Catalonia on 1...
Europe against the death penalty
The 47-nation Council of Europe and the 28-member European Union have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October. The statement underlines the two organisations’ firm opposition to capital punishment in any circumstances. It also calls...
Turkey: Emergency Decree Laws are obstructing local democracy
In an opinion adopted today, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the “Venice Commission”) assessed the extent to which Turkey’s Emergency Decree Laws – passed in the wake of the failed 2016 coup attempt – include measures that go beyond what is permitted by international standards...
