About: human rights
EU and UK say Hong Kong newspaper raid shows China cracking down on dissent
The European Union and Britain said a police raid on Hong Kong's pro-democracy Apple Daily showed that China was using a new national security law to crack down on dissent and silence the media rather than deal with public security.
Biden, Putin hail positive talks, but bad blood stays on
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin sought to cool tensions in the dangerously spiraling US-Russian relationship at their first summit in Geneva on Wednesday (16 June), with the US president saying his Kremlin counterpart doesn't want a new Cold War.
Bundestag adopts supply chain law tackling human rights abuses
The German Bundestag has adopted the Due Diligence in Supply Chains Law that will force companies to respect human rights in their supply chains, despite opposition from some political parties and industry
Kazakhstan announces new efforts to improve human rights record
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree “On further measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of human rights”, which he said represents an important step in the political modernisation of the Central Asian country.
In migration lull, Greece bolsters border arsenal
As the sun dips into the wetlands of northeastern Evros, Greece's river border with Turkey, two Greek guards climb into a boat to begin their daily lookout for irregular migrants.
Greek police plan high-decibel message to deter migrants
Greek police on Thursday (3 June) said they plan to send out a high decibel message designed to deter would-be migrants after setting up two controversial "sound cannons" at the Evros border post with Turkey.
Denmark passes law to process asylum seekers outside Europe
Denmark on Thursday (3 June) passed a law enabling it to process asylum seekers outside Europe, drawing anger from human rights advocates, the United Nations and the European Commission.
Navalny sues prison for censoring his newspapers
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, speaking in a court appearance via videolink, on Wednesday (26 May) accused the prison where is being held of censoring his newspapers by cutting out articles.
NGOs sue EU’s Frontex for violating migrants’ human rights
Three non-governmental organisations said Tuesday (25 May) they are suing the EU's border protection agency Frontex for violating the human rights of an unaccompanied minor from Burundi and a Congolese woman seeking asylum on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Lithuania quits ‘divisive’ China 17+1 group
Lithuania said on Saturday (22 May) it was quitting China's 17+1 cooperation forum with central and eastern European states that includes other EU members, calling it "divisive".
India: Europe’s (un)democratic partner
The European Union has been seeking a strategic partnership with India as a counterweight to the rise of China. A key reason offered for this partnership are the shared democratic values of the two powers.
One Free Press Coalition: ’10 most urgent’ list of May 2021
On May 3, 2021, the annual observance of World Press Freedom Day, the One Free Press Coalition launched the monthly list of “10 Most Urgent” press freedom cases around the world. This iteration focuses on journalists writing about human rights—an...
Russia bars EU officials as latest row escalates
Tensions between Russia and the European Union escalated on Friday (30 April) as Moscow barred eight EU officials from entering the country and Brussels warned it could respond in kind.
Xi urges Europe to ‘make positive efforts with China’ in Merkel call
President Xi Jinping told German leader Angela Merkel during a phone call that he hoped Europe would "make positive efforts with China", Chinese state media reported, following an international row over the treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.
EU chiefs press Erdogan on rights while stressing better ties
The European Union's top two officials on Tuesday (6 April) expressed deep worries about human rights in Turkey while voicing hope for stronger ties in their first meeting in a year with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Jailed Kurdish leader calls on Turkish opposition to unite against Erdogan
Former pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtaş, jailed since 2016 despite Western calls for his release, said the Turkish opposition should unite against rising oppression and moves to divide them, including a court case to ban his party.
EU nations rebuke China envoys over retaliatory sanctions
France, Germany and other EU nations called in Chinese ambassadors on Tuesday (23 March) to protest at sanctions imposed by Beijing targeting their citizens, as China and Europe faced off over claims of rights abuses against China's Muslim Uyghur minority.
West hits China with coordinated sanction over Xinjiang abuses
The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday (22 March) for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the first such coordinated Western action against Beijing under new US President Joe Biden.
China sanctions 10 Europeans including parliamentarians
China on Monday (22 March) announced sanctions on 10 Europeans including politicians and scholars, as well as four entities, in retaliation against the EU's approval of measures over Beijing's crackdown on the Uighur minority.
Top US, Chinese diplomats clash at start of first talks of Biden presidency
The first high-level US-China talks of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday (18 March), with both sides leveling sharp rebukes of the others’ policies in a rare display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.
EU visit to Xinjiang stalls over access to jailed Uighur
A visit by European Union ambassadors to the Xinjiang region of China has stalled over their request for access to jailed Uighur academic Ilham Tohti, a diplomatic source confirmed Wednesday (17 March).
Biden aides to hold first talks with ‘top threat’ China in Alaska
US President Joe Biden's top aides will hold their first talks with China next week in Alaska, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowing to seek "tangible" action on concerns with the nation he calls the top threat.
MEPs demand ambitious law on human rights due diligence
MEPs have urged the European Commission to table an ambitious due diligence law obliging EU companies to address all aspects of their value chains that could affect human rights, the environment and good governance.