Human Rights

FRA Cites Migration Restrictions as Rights Concerns

August 03, 2018

In its periodic report on migration-related fundamental rights issues, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) cites as a cause for concern Austria’s policy as current President of the Council of the EU of clamping down on uncontrolled migration and various national policies seeking to prevent illegal border crossings.
UK Commission: Brexit Takes away Women’s Rights

August 01, 2018

The Independent reports that, according to the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission, Britain’s withdrawal from the EU threatens the human rights of women, including through funding for women’s services, because the British government will no longer be bound by enforceable EU equality and fundamental rights standards.
EU Committee Critiques Austria’s Prioritization of Security

July 30, 2018

Representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee recently pushed back on the “Europe that protects” program the Austrian government has offered as it takes control of the rotating EU presidency, calling for the expansion of the program from a focus on migration to focuses on environmental, human rights, and inequality issues.
ECJ: UK Cannot Restrict Residence Rights to Citizens’ Spouses

July 30, 2018

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has struck down a UK regulation only allowing spouses or civil partners of British nationals to gain residence rights in the country through EU free movement rules, finding that countries must consider residence rights for any non-EU “partners” with whom the citizen has had a “durable relationship” in another EU member state.
ECJ Official: Dutch Nationality Law Violates EU Rules

July 30, 2018

Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Advocate General Paolo Mengozzi has determined that a Dutch law providing for the automatic loss of citizenship for minors whose mother or father has lost Dutch nationality is incompatible with EU law.
ECtHR: Russia Violated Free Speech Rights of Punk Band

July 30, 2018

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that the Russian government violated the right of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot to free expression when it jailed them on charges of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for performing an anti-Putin song at a Moscow cathedral in 2012 and banned online access to the video of the event.
ECtHR Finds Russian Responsibility for Rights Abuse in MRT

July 30, 2018

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has concluded that the Russian government is responsible for the violation of property rights of over 1600 people living in the so-called “Moldovan Transdniestrian Republic” (MRT) by permitting the MRT, which could not survive without Russian support, to take over their land and personal property.
ECtHR: Investigation of Russian Journalist’s Murder Violated Rights

July 30, 2018

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that Russia’s investigation of the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who had been critical of the country’s current administration, had violated her right to life because authorities had failed to properly investigate who had arranged her killing.
UK Brexit Paper Commits to Remaining in ECHR

July 27, 2018

The Independent reports that EU negotiators have pressured the UK government, in its recent Brexit White Paper negotiating document, to commit to remaining a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by arguing that the UK’s withdrawal would threaten future UK-EU security cooperation.
CoE Committee Guides Norway on Minority Languages

July 23, 2018

The Council of Europe’s (CoE) expert committee for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has issued recommendations on how Norwegian authorities must do more to promote regional and minority languages “at all appropriate levels” in the country.