About: human rights Archives
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EU condemns ‘politically motivated’ jailing of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
The European Union's top diplomat condemned on Monday (6 December) a jail term handed out to Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying it was a "politically motivated verdict".
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Council of Europe to discipline Turkey over jailed activist
The Council of Europe said Friday (3 December) it will launch disciplinary action against Turkey for refusing to free prominent activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala, triggering a procedure used only once before in the organisation's history.
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US, EU concerned by China’s ‘problematic and unilateral actions’ at sea
The United States and European Union on Thursday (2 December) voiced strong concern at China's "problematic and unilateral actions" in the South China Sea and stressed the need for close contact to manage "competition and systemic rivalry" with Beijing.
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Turkey calls on Council of Europe to avoid punishment over Kavala case
Turkey on Thursday (2 December) called on the Council of Europe to avoid punishing Turkey ahead of a decision this week on whether Ankara could face rare disciplinary proceedings over the case of a jailed activist.
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WTA suspends all tournaments in China over Peng concerns
The women's professional tennis tour announced it was suspending all tournaments in China amid what its chairman called "serious doubts" about the safety of Chinese player Peng Shuai, who accused a top Communist Party leader of sexual assault.
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Poland frowns at EU-proposed longer legal limbo for migrants from Belarus
The European Commission on Wednesday (1 December) proposed letting member states bordering Belarus, and facing migrant flows allegedly orchestrated by Minsk, to keep arrivals' asylum claims in legal limbo for longer. But Poland called the move ‘counter-productive’.
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Polish president signs law to keep away journalists, NGOs from Belarus border
Poland's president on Tuesday (30 November) signed into law legislation that will limit the access of aid charities and journalists to its border with Belarus as the country grapples with a simmering migrant crisis.
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Kazakhstan president visits Brussels in effort to deepen relations
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid a rare official visit to Belgium on Thursday and Friday (25-26 November) in an effort to present his country as a reliable partner to the EU and open the door to new opportunities.
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Turkey holds first Kavala hearing after row with Western allies
A Turkish court on Friday (26 November) will hold the latest hearing in the trial of philanthropist businessman Osman Kavala, whose case provoked a diplomatic tussle between Ankara and its Western allies after they called for his immediate release.
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Georgia moves hunger-striking ex-leader Saakashvili to military hospital
Georgia on Saturday (20 November) moved jailed opposition leader and ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to a military hospital from a prison clinic after doctors warned he risked death following a 50-day hunger strike.
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Germany may have been naive on China at first, Merkel says
Germany may at first have been naive in some areas of cooperation with China, but should not sever all connections in reaction to growing tensions, Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Reuters.
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Belarus and EU to hold talks on migrant crisis
Belarus said Wednesday (17 November) that President Alexander Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a telephone call that Minsk and the EU should discuss the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border.
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Is Europe still committed to children’s rights?
Marking the 32nd anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we look at how far we have come to realise the rights of all children in Europe and whether the commitment still stands the test of time.
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Biden promises candor, Xi greets ‘old friend’ in US-China talks
US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed their responsibility to the world to avoid conflict as the heads of the two top global economies gathered for hours of talks on Monday (15 November).
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EU Commission, Council of Europe deplore closing down of Russian NGO Memorial
Closing down respected Russian rights group Memorial would deal a "devastating blow" to civil society in the country, the secretary general of pan-European rights body the Council of Europe said Friday (12 November).
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The perturbing silence surrounding the case of Julian Assange
The case for the extradition of Julian Assange raises questions about the freedom of the press, about the extraterritorial creep of US law and about Europe’s readiness - or lack off - to protect media freedom, writes Dick Roche.
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Ethiopia declares state of emergency as Tigrayan forces gain ground
Ethiopia declared a six-month state of emergency on Tuesday (2 November) after forces from the northern region of Tigray said they were gaining territory and considering marching on the capital Addis Ababa.
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‘Just give us our money’: Taliban push to unlock Afghan billions abroad
Afghanistan's Taliban government is pressing for the release of billions of dollars of central bank reserves as the drought-stricken nation faces a cash crunch, mass starvation and a new migration crisis.
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Biden vows to stand with Asia on freedom, hits at China on Taiwan
President Joe Biden told Southeast Asian nations on Wednesday (27 October) the United States would stand with them in defending freedom of the seas and democracy and called China's actions towards Taiwan "coercive" and a threat to peace and stability.
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With Xi-Biden telco, US aims to show responsible handling of China ties
White House officials are gearing up for a virtual meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping they hope will show the world Washington can responsibly manage relations between the rival superpowers, people familiar with the matter say.
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Erdogan threatens to expel 10 Western envoys
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday (21 October) threatened to expel the US, German and eight other Western ambassadors after they issued a rare joint statement in support of a jailed civil society leader.
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Only if we fight poverty Due Diligence legislation will become effective
To be effective, the upcoming mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation must improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and workers and take their interests into account. Partnerships with producing countries are essential, and the Duty to Collaborate must become the 4th pillar of the UN Guiding Principles.
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Turkey summons 10 ambassadors over calls for philanthropist’s release
Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United States, Germany and France, over a statement calling for the release of philanthropist Osman Kavala, state-owned Anadolu agency said on Tuesday (19 October).
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Poles protest against migrant pushbacks
Thousands of people demonstrated in Warsaw on Sunday (17 October) against pushbacks of migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border.