News Feed

23/02/2021

ECHR calls on Russia to release Alexey Navalny immediately

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has demanded that Russia release opposition politician Alexey Navalny from custody immediately. According to his lawyer Olga Mikhailova, the Russian authorities are obliged to comply with this ruling, in according with the rules of the European Court.

Source: Meduza

23/02/2021

Member states fail to transpose EU law criminalising hate speech and hate crimes

The European Commission decided to send letters of formal notice to Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Poland, and Sweden as their national laws do not fully or accurately transpose EU rules on combating racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.

Source: Brussels Times

23/02/2021

German government reaches agreement on Supply Chain Act

Germany’s government has reached agreement on legislation that obliges German companies to carry out due diligence regarding human rights and environmental issues in supply chains globally.

Source: Reuters

02/03/2021

Russia has tightened legislation on “foreign agents”

On March 1, harsher penalties for violations of the activities of "foreign agents" came into force in the Russian Federation. High fines and criminal liability of up to five years of imprisonment are foreseen.

Source: DW

02/03/2021

Greece proposes law changes following #MeToo allegations

Greece’s government introduced a raft of proposals designed to combat sexual abuse after a wave of #MeToo allegations rocked the country by putting forward changes to the statute of limitations in cases involving children and ask courts to prioritise sexual abuse cases.

Source: Politico

02/03/2021

‘A nation of prosecutors’: The French are suing the state to drive social change

President Emmanuel Macron lamented that the French have become “a nation of 66 million prosecutors”. He may have a point: Whether battling climate change or racial profiling by police, activists and ordinary citizens are pursuing groundbreaking legal action to force his government into action.

Source: France 24

02/03/2021

Czech Republic takes legal action against Poland’s Turow mine

The Czech Republic has filed a lawsuit against Poland at the Court of Justice of the European Union, saying it had violated the bloc’s law with the expansion of mining at the Turow lignite mine.

Source: Reuters

02/03/2021

European Commission takes Germany to court for failing to protect nature

The EU has long warned Germany that its efforts to protect nature under the Flora-Fauna-Habitats Directive were not adequate. Now, the European Commission is taking Germany to the European Court of Justice for violating nature and conservation laws.

Source: Euronews

10/03/2021

St. Petersburg activist sues Russian Justice Ministry over ‘foreign agent’ label

St. Petersburg activist Daria Apakhonchich, who was declared a “foreign agent” in December 2020, has filed a lawsuit against the Russian Justice Ministry over the illegality of this decision, stating that they violated the norms of Russian and international law by adding her to the government’s list of “foreign-agent media.”

Source: Meduza