Human Rights

UN Human Rights Council vote

Quotes from Reinhard Bütikofer MEP & Hannah Neumann MEP

Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council will elect 15 new members in a secret ballot. The 15 countries will be chosen later today by the UN General Assembly to sit on the 47 nation council. The new members will serve for three years from January. China, Saudi Arabia and Russia are vying for p...

Parliament votes for serious action on rule of law

Rule of law

Today, the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Establishment of an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRF). The Parliament vote reaffirms the commitment of MEPs to establish a comprehensive approach to the rule of law instead of ...

Greens/EFA take on the plenary session

14-18 September

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Just Transition Fund, arms exports, the state of the Union, global data collection system for ship fuel oil consumption data, the situation in Moria refugee camp, the situation in Poland and LGBTI rights, strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment, the situation in Belarus, the EU Roma Strategy, and maximising the energy efficiency potential of the EU building stock.

The European Union must finally take action

Belarus

Ahead of tomorrow's (Friday 14 August) video conference of EU foreign ministers, Philippe Lamberts and Ska Keller, leader of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, call for condemnation of electoral fraud and police violence, support for the release of political prisoners and new elections, targeted sanctions and entry bans on those responsible for the repression, and a safe haven to those who are no longer safe in Belarus.

Hong Kong

EU Foreign Ministers must condemn Beijing's attacks on Hong Kong's autonomy

The EU foreign ministers must strongly condemn Beijing's attacks on Hong Kong’s autonomy. For the EU, as a community of values, such a restriction of civil liberties is unacceptable.

Riba asks Commission and UN to investigate Spanish Supreme Court after threats to public officials

Press Release from EFA MEP Diana Riba (Catalonia)

EFA MEP Diana Riba (ERC) has written to European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders and to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, following the Spanish Supreme Court's warning that Prison Board officials could be liable for the offense of 'breach of official duty'...

Spain accused of ‘criminalising dissent’

EFA MEPs supporting Catalan academics

Spanish authorities have been accused of ‘criminalising dissent’ after it emerged that supporters of Catalan self-determination are facing legal action and other measures simply for supporting a peaceful referendum. The issue was raised at a meeting of the EU - Catalonia Dialogue Plat...

The European Union, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds

05.02.2020

16th International Conference, suppported by G/EFA, GUE/NGL, S&D

    Brussels, The European Parliament Wednesday 5th of February – 14:30 – 18:30 Thursday 6th of February – 09:30 – 17:00   WATCH THE EVENT LIVE 5th February 6th February    ...

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 16-19 December 2019

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the rule of law in Malta, conflict of interest and corruption, situation of the Uyghur in China, EU pollinators initiative, animal welfare, EU-Mercosur and European Green Deal, EU Ombudsperson, ...

European Parliament criticises China's repressive policy in Xinjiang

Sakharov Prize for Ilham Tohti

The Sakharov Prize this year goes to the Uighur professor of economics and civil rights activist Ilham Tohti.   Reinhard Bütikofer, Chairman of the China Delegation of the European Parliament and Greens/EFA spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, comments:"The European Parliament has t...

What's coming up this week

Greens/EFA priorities - plenary session 16-19 December 2019

A look ahead to the plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

North and East Syria/Rojava

11.12.2019

A Regional and Global Litmus Test

This conference will focus on the current situation in North-east Syria/Rojava, and on the implication of the Turkish state in it.