About: human rights

‘Clumsy’ resolution risks alienating EU from Kazakhstan, MEP says

The European Parliament's recent resolution on Kazakhstan is "clumsy" and detrimental both for the bilateral relations and the credibility of the EU, Bulgarian MEP Ivo Hristov (S&D) told EURACTIV on Wednesday (3 March).

Dozens of Hong Kong dissidents charged with security crime

Dozens of Hong Kong dissidents were charged with subversion on Sunday (28 February) in the largest use yet of Beijing's sweeping new national security law, as authorities seek to cripple the financial hub's democracy movement.

European court demands ‘immediate’ release of Navalny

The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday (17 February) ordered Russia to "immediately" release jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, saying his life was in danger in prison.

Russia’s EU ambassador: Discussing Navalny is pointless

In a telephone interview on Thursday (11 February) the Ambassador of Russia to the EU Vladimir Chizhov evokes the recent visit of EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell to Moscow, which he helped arrange.

Myanmar faces European push at UN to condemn coup

The United Nations' top human rights body is to consider a resolution on Friday (12 February) drafted by Britain and the European Union that would condemn Myanmar's military coup and demand urgent access for monitors.

Erdogan tells Merkel he wants Turkey-EU summit by July

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a video call Monday (8 February) he hopes for a summit with European Union leaders in the first half of 2021 to ease tensions.

Turkey makes fresh arrests after EU, US censure

Police detained dozens of protesters across several cities on Thursday (4 February) after Turkey brushed aside US and EU condemnation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's crackdown on a month of escalating student rallies.

Top Chinese diplomat calls for China, US to mend relations

China’s top diplomat called on Tuesday (2 February) for Beijing and Washington to put relations back on a predictable and constructive path, saying the United States should stop meddling in China’s internal affairs, like Hong Kong and Tibet.

Lawmakers push for EU due diligence law on environmental, human rights

The European Parliament's legal affairs committee adopted a report on Wednesday (27 January) calling on the European Union to legally require companies to protect human rights and the environment in their supply chains.

EU border chief refuses to quit over pushback claims

The head of the EU border agency will not step down, a Frontex spokesman said, as the force's board met Wednesday (20 January) to air claims guards were involved in illegal migrant pushbacks.

Strasbourg human rights court presses ahead with Crimea case

There is enough initial evidence of systematic human rights violations to proceed with the case Ukraine lodged against Russia concerning administrative practices in Crimea between 2014 and 2015, the European Court of Human Rights decided on Tuesday (14 January).

UK condemns Chinese ‘barbarism’ against Uighur minority

Britain on Tuesday (12 January) accused China of human rights violations amounting to "barbarism" against its Uighur minority, as it announced new rules to ban imports of goods suspected of using forced labour.

Power struggle leaves UN Human Rights Council without leader

Russia and China are opposed to a candidate seen as a staunch human rights defender to lead the UN rights body, diplomats say, creating a deadlock just as the US may seek to rejoin the forum it quit in 2018.

Hong Kong arrests 53 for plot to ‘overthrow’ government in latest crackdown on dissent

Hong Kong police arrested 53 people in dawn raids on democracy activists in the biggest crackdown since China last year imposed a new security law which opponents say is aimed at quashing dissent in the former British colony.

Vietnam jails journalists, EU says it prefers ‘dialogue’ to sanctions

EU was hesitant on Wednesday (6 January) to resort to trade sanctions following the announcement of heavy sentences of journalists in Vietnam, a latest development in the communist country’s crackdown on dissent. Three journalists, members of the Independent Journalists’ Association...

US, EU urge release of Wuhan citizen journalist

The United States and European Union on Tuesday (29 December) demanded that China release a citizen journalist jailed for reports from Wuhan, with top US diplomat Mike Pompeo accusing Beijing of covering up Covid-19.

China jails citizen-journalist for four years over Wuhan virus reporting

A Chinese court handed a four-year jail to a citizen-journalist who reported from the central city of Wuhan at the peak of last year’s coronavirus outbreak, on grounds of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” her lawyer said.

Police blame residents for fire at Bosnia migrant centre

A fire at a migrant centre housing about 1,200 people in northwestern Bosnia on Wednesday (23 December) was probably set by migrants displeased with its temporary closure, police and a United Nations official said.

EU urges China to free rights lawyers

The European Union on Monday (21 December) called for China to release jailed lawyer Li Yuhan and other human rights defenders, as the bloc closes in on a major investment pact with Beijing.

Freedom: another casualty of COVID-19 pandemic

Measures imposed by governments to fight the Covid-19 pandemic have squeezed civil liberties worldwide, with authoritarian regimes seeking to exploit the restrictions as a way to shore up their sometimes shaky control on fast-changing societies, rights groups say.

Kazakhstan seeks to improve its human rights record

Kazakhstan, a post-Soviet country which has been repeatedly criticized by Western rights group, is passing legislation to improve its standing on human rights.

Three ways to reclaim human rights from authoritarians

Human rights activists spend too much time focusing on problems without explaining them, while research also shows that trying to debunk myths actually reinforces them. Therefore, activists need to drop abstract language, make human rights popular, and envelop misinformation in a 'truth sandwich', writes Israel Butler.

Macron says France will sell arms to Egypt irrespective of rights

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would not condition the sale of weapons to Egypt on human rights because he did not want to weaken Cairo’s ability to counter terrorism in the region.