“Combating violence against women is at the heart of what the Council of Europe is about – human rights and the equality of women and men. This fight must...
Press Releases
“Turkey’s international image will plummet if it welcomes a man wanted to answer for some of the most heinous abuses against civilians in the world today,” said Elise Keppler,...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
CPT President calls for an end to impunity for perpetrators of torture
Mr. Palma, who has himself visited many detention facilities as a member of CPT delegations, also pointed to the growing problem of overcrowding in prison systems throughout Europe. “Simply...
The arrest warrant lists several counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly perpetrated by Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir, against whom the Court issued an arrest warrant...
The general report recalls the gradual extension of the CPT’s field of operations across Europe. Nevertheless, it points out that there remain certain parts of the continent in which...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
Turkey: ARTICLE 19 Concerned about Continuous Threats to Freedom of Expression in Turkey
Article 301 makes it a crime to insult “Turkishness” as well as the Turkish Republic and its institutions, carrying sentences of up to four years. Since it came into...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Social protection should not be seen as an optional act of charity. It is, in fact, an obligation enshrined in international human rights law. It is essential that global...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
“Climate change is also a human rights concern” says Commissioner Hammarberg
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which their rights and freedoms can be fully realised. This order...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
High Commissioner opens first ever UN Human Rights office in European Union
“OHCHR was only founded 16 years ago, so it is still a young organization,” Pillay said. “We already have 10 other regional offices in Africa, the Middle East, Latin...
2009 Press Releases
Press Releases
With and for the poor,” the planning key to protect urban dwellers from climate change, says UN expert on World Habitat Day
Low income dwellers are often located in the most hazard prone areas within cities. They lack the basic infrastructure and services necessary to protect them from environmental disasters. “Cities...