News Feed

15/06/2021

Russian State Duma adopts law banning involvement in ‘undesirable organisations’

The Russian State Duma has adopted in the third and final reading a law banning Russian citizens and legal entities from involvement in the work of “undesirable organisations” around the world. The legislation also allows for any foreign or international NGO to be designated as “undesirable,” if it helped transfer money or other assets to an organization that is already on this blacklist.

Source: Meduza

22/06/2021

EU commission takes stand against Danish asylum law

The European Commission has taken a firm stand against Denmark's plan to outsource asylum. EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson warned the law could create a "knock-on effect to neighbouring EU countries" ant that it goes against the Geneva Convention on refugees

Source : EU Observer

22/06/2021

Court rules that Belgium’s climate failures violate human rights

Belgium’s failure to meet climate targets is a violation of human rights, a Brussels court has ruled, in the latest legal victory against public authorities that have broken promises to tackle the climate emergency. Judges declared that the Belgian state had committed an offence under Belgian’s civil law and breached the European convention on human rights. The NGO that brought the case, Klimaatzaak, hails the judgment as historic.

Source: The Guardian

22/06/2021

Slovakian court orders businessman’s retrial over journalist murder

Slovakia's Supreme Court ordered a retrial of a businessman acquitted over the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, following an appeal from prosecutors. Citing a lack of evidence, a lower court last year acquitted Marian Kocner in a case that shook Slovakia and led to mass protests against graft in government.

Source: Reuters

22/06/2021

Council of Europe adopts resolutions protecting LGBTI people

The Congress of the Council of Europe adopted two resolutions protecting the LGBTI community from discrimination and hatred at its 40th Session. The resolutions followed two independent reports — a report that drew attention to the situation of the LGBTI community, and another report drawing attention to increasing attacks against LGBTI people in Poland.

Source : Jurist

22/06/2021

European Court decides to prioritise RFE/RL challenge of Russia’s ‘Foreign Agent’ laws

The ECHR’s decision to grant “priority” status — which it reserves for the most important, serious, and urgent cases — within a month of its filing means that the case will likely proceed more quickly than ordinary cases. The Russian government has until October 5 to submit its response in the case to the ECHR.

Source : RFE/RL

29/06/2021

Poland defends law that could block Jewish restitution claims

The Polish government defended a bill that would change the rules for property restitution in the country. Critics say the measure could make it harder for Jewish people to recover property seized by Nazi Germany, and afterwards by communist leaders. Israel slammed the planned changes as "immoral" while the US urged for the bill to be scrapped.

Source: DW

29/06/2021

Vatican in ‘unprecedented’ challenge to Italy anti-homophobia law

The Vatican has lodged a diplomatic protest against a draft Italian law against homophobia. The so-called Zan law seeks to punish acts of discrimination and incitement to violence against gay, lesbian, transgender and disabled people. The Vatican argued in a letter that the bill violates the Concordat, the bilateral treaty between Rome and the Holy See, by curtailing Catholic freedom of belief and expression.

Source: France 24

29/06/2021

Sixteen EU countries denounce Hungary’s new anti-LGBT law

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg led the charge against Hungary's anti-LGBT law as European affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries met to discuss the rule of law. In total, 16 member states out of 27 voiced their disapproval of the Hungarian law, which bans the portrayal of homosexuality and sex reassignment in school education material and TV programmes addressed to people under 18 years of age.

Source: Euronews