News Feed

07/02/2023

Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov sentenced to eight years in prison for reporting on Russian atrocities

A Moscow court has sentenced journalist Alexander Nevzorov in absentia to eight years in prison for distributing “false information” about the Russian army, according to TASS. Investigators cited social media posts he made in March 2022 about Russia’s air strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol and Russian soldiers’ murders of civilians in Bucha. Nevzorov left Russia shortly after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In May, he was declared wanted by Russian authorities for speaking out against the invasion.

Source: Meduza

07/02/2023

LEAK: EU biodiversity plan aims to ban bottom trawling in protected areas

The “EU Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries” is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2023 by the European Commission. One of its flagship measures is to halt the destructive impacts of bottom trawling, a method of fishing that involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor in an effort to catch fish. Under the draft plan, bottom trawling would be banned in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2030 but would still be allowed outside of those.

Source: Euractiv

14/02/2023

Rosfinmonitoring proposes increasing the amount of information on the recipient and sender in money transfers

A draft law has been prepared for submission to the State Duma which significantly increases the amount of accompanying information when transferring funds, not only about the sender, but also about the recipient. According to market participants, the document's provisions conflict with the law on personal data and in some cases are simply impossible to implement.

Source: The Komersant

15/02/2023

Tory MPs to push for UK exit from European convention on human rights

Rishi Sunak is reported to be considering the controversial move as he prepares to set out new legislation to curb migration, which will ban anybody who comes to the UK irregularly from applying for asylum and then deport them as soon as possible. A new immigration bill is expected to be introduced within weeks.

Source: The Guardian

15/02/2023

EU leaders strike hard line on migration after summit in Brussels

The European Union leaders struck a hard-line tone on migration policy, threatening to use visa permits, trade flows and development aid as leverages to crack down on irregular border crossings and speed up the return of unsuccessful asylum-seekers. Nevertheless, heads of state and government urged "reinforced cooperation" on search-and-rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.

Source: Euronews

15/02/2023

Dutch cabinet in favour of relaxing visa rules for earthquake victims

The Labour Party’s (PvdA) request to relax visa policy for Turkish and Syrian earthquake victims, is something the cabinet can get behind, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on WNL’s Sunday broadcast. PvdA wants the government to relax visa rules for Turkish and Syrian victims of the earthquake to ensure they can temporarily travel to stay with their family members in the Netherlands.

Source: Euractiv

15/02/2023

Czechia mulls criminalising disinformation

The intentional spreading of disinformation could find its way into the Czech criminal code, according to a new action plan currently being discussed by the government. The contents of the draft plan, which has not yet been made public, have recently been reported in the media, which points to plans to clarify the legal status of disinformation and adapt the criminal law.

Source: Euractiv

07/03/2023

Bulgaria denies citizenship to Spanish-born child with two mothers

The Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) has finally decided that Sara, born in Spain and raised by two mothers, does not have the right to receive a Bulgarian birth certificate and citizenship. The case involves three European countries – Bulgaria, Spain and the UK, and soon it may be brought before EU institutions. The child was born in 2019 in Spain to a family of two mothers – Kalina and Jane. Same-sex marriages are allowed in Spain but not in Bulgaria.

Source: Euractiv

07/03/2023

Germany announces new “feminist foreign policy”

Germany's centre-left government on Wednesday announced new feminist guidelines to shape its diplomacy and development work including the creation of a new role for an "ambassador for feminist foreign policy". Germany will lobby to ensure women's concerns are more in focus worldwide, that women are better represented and that the country's generous development funds are allocated more to projects that tackle gender inequality, according to the guidelines.

Source: Reuters