Human Rights

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

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

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.

Shrinking Spaces

Policing humanitarianism and human rights defenders

Civil society organisations are increasingly under pressure in Europe. NGOs engaged in helping refugees as well as human rights defenders fighting against rule of law backsliding are criminalised, intimidated and charged with legal restrictions. The conference will address how the criminalisation affects the rights of citizens and discuss ways to protect NGOs and human rights defenders.

30 years of children rights: let’s act!

Thirty years ago, 20 November 1989, Members of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). To date, it is the most widely ratified binding international treaty in the world - only the United States of America did not ratify it. However, there is still a lot of work to be done!

World Children's Day – Europe must do more to build a better world for all children

Press release from EFA MEP Diana Riba (ERC)

On World Children's Day – 20 November 2019 – EFA MEP Diana Riba has called for the EU to do more to build a better world for all children. That means ensuring that children's rights are respected in all aspects of EU law, and taking concrete steps to end child poverty in Europ...

ECJ ruling on Oriol Junqueras' rights as MEP

Press Release from EFA MEPs Alyn Smith (Scotland) & Diana Riba (Catalonia)

The European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament has welcomed today's opinion from the European Court of Justice's Advocate General in favour of Greens/EFA MEP Oriol Junqueras. The Advocate General stated that an MEP's mandate comes solely from the electorate and cannot be ...