New EU-US PNR Agreement: with no improvement of guarantees, the agreement must be rejected by the European Parliament! - Press release 25 January 2012
AEDH would like to draw MEPs’ attention to the new EU-US agreement and the lack of guarantees concerning the protection of personal data and privacy, regarding passengers travelling to and from the United States, and the transmitting of their data to the American authorities (PNR).
It is urgent to protect democracy and rights in Hungary - Press release of January 11th 2012
As it came into force on January 1st 2012, despite numerous criticisms it was subjected to, the new Hungarian Constitution (called Fundamental Law) and its attached cardinal laws seriously infringe democracy and rule of law in Hungary and are against fundamental values of the European Union as established in article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union.
In paying homage to Václav Havel, AEDH salutes all of the women and men struggling for human freedom at the risk of sacrificing their own - 19 December 2011
AEDH hereby pays tribute to a man who, in addition to being a great writer, showed the world his determination through the path of his life. Thanks to the courage, the perseverance, and the intellectual and moral rectitude of Václav Havel, we are able today to fight together for a Europe of solidarity, a Europe based on human rights principles.
Second Trial Observation Mission in Cyprus: As Doros Polycarpou’s prosecution continues, international attention and support intensify - Inter-associations press release, 13 December 2011
On the occasion of the first hearing of the trial against Doros Polykarpou, Executive Director of KISA(Action for Equality, Support and Anti-racism), scheduled on 12 December 2011, in Larnaca, Cyprus, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), The European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Migreurop and The European Association for Human Rights (AEDH) have sent a second trial observation mission.
Violence against Roma in the European Union must stop - Press release 24 November 2011
One month before the beginning of the evaluation of the different national policies for Roma inclusion of the Member States of the Commission, AEDH denounces the passive stance of the European Commission and the Council confronted with the violent acts committed against the Roma in a certain number of European countries.
Dignity, equality and solidarity should be the basis of European migration policies - 3 November 2011
For the last few months, the AEDH has undertaken the consolidation of its relationship of reciprocal consultation with Members of the European Parliament from different political groups. The aim of this informal group of ‘Friends of the AEDH’ is to contribute to the development of a profound reflection on all the issues related to fundamental rights in the European Union.
Foreign workers in the EU: moving towards multiple standards, founded on unequal treatment? - 17 October 2011
Within the framework of regulating foreign workers in the European Union, the European Parliament will vote this autumn on two directives concerning seasonal workers and intra-corporate transferees.
Frontex: AEDH calls for more guarantees for human rights - 20 September 2011
The European Parliament adopted, on 12 September 2011i, a resolution modifying the regulation of the Frontex agencyii. This reform introduces several clauses aiming at guaranteeing a greater respect of fundamental rights by the agency, something which can only be seen as very positive considering that many have requested it, in particular NGOs. However AEDH notices that, beyond this progress in principle, questions remain and even scepticism regarding the efficiency of the guarantees voted by the European Parliament. There is scepticism also regarding the future of this reform which still has to be approved by the Council in order to come into force.
The Mediterranean : NATO finally comes to the aid of shipwrecked migrants, but the European Union refuses to admit them - Joint press release, 28th July 2011
The signatory organizations named below demand that the European Union provide a unified response to the tragedy in the Mediterranean. We insist that migrants and refugees who risk their lives crossing the sea must be admitted onto European soil.
Hungarian Presidency of the EU: now it’s assessment time, but let’s remain vigilant - Press release 30 June 2011
At the end of the Hungarian presidency of the European Union, AEDH denounces breaches of rule of law and fundamental rights observed in Hungary, meanwhile Hungarian government was in charge, on the European scene, to bring forward the European project and to defend its values of openness, democracy and equality in diversity.
A green paper – considerably reticent – on prisons - 21 June 2011
The European Commission has just released a green paper on the subject of prisons. The European Association for the Defense of Human Rights (AEDH) welcomes this initiative in an area where the respect of human rights is vital.
The European Framework for Roma integration: AEDH calls upon European Union to strengthen its position and to take into consideration acts of violence against Roma - Press release, 27 April 2011
AEDH welcomes the new framework for Roma Integration in the European Union released by the European Commission on April the 5th 2011i but considers that it is not enough to stop discriminations against Roma people.
The European Union must face its responsibilities in dealing with migration - Press release, 11 April 2011
How many tragic deaths in the Mediterranean Sea will it take before the European Union acknowledges its international commitments and receive migrants from the Maghreb who are now waiting at its doorstep?
Combatting child pornography is necessary but must not be used as a pretext to limit Internet access - Press release, 11 February 2011
AEDH welcomes the European Union’s commitment to combating sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. However, this must not be done at the expense of the basic right to access means of communication and information, including Internet access.
The AEDH welcomes the reject by the European Parliament of the proposal for a directive establishing a “single permit” - 15 December 2010
The AEDH can only welcome the responsibility that the European Parliament took in voting against the proposal on a “single permit” by a 350 to 306 vote during the plenary session this Tuesday December 14th, 2010.
The AEDH asks the EU to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers on the occasion of its 20th anniversary - 13 December 2010
The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers should be ratified by the European Union and its Member States. It is unacceptable that no country has signed this Convention over the past twenty years.
Aurore Martin must not be handed over to the Spanish special courts - Press release, 19 November 2010
Six years after their initial attempt, the Spanish authorities are again trying to obtain the extradition of a French citizen due to her participation in various public political protests organised by a party, Batasuna, which is legal in France.
The AEDH and the Liga appeal to the authorities and the German government to immediately stop the expulsions of Roma to Kosovo - Press release November 17th 2010
The AEDH, together with its German member the International League for Human Rights, condemns the readmission policy of refugees from Kosovo pursued by the German government and the governments of the Länder. This policy aims to expel thousands of people, the majority children, who have been living for several years in Germany, to Kosovo. This happens at a time, when several European states have been using the Roma as scapegoats for their policies.
AEDH and Otwarta Rzeczpospolita denounce the Polish Government’s silence on the recent discriminatory comments and acts - Press release, October 20th 2010
AEDH and Otwarta Rzeczpospolita are concerned about the infringement of equality and human rights which recently occurred in Poland and the indulgent reaction of the Polish authorities on this subject.
Discrimination against cross-border workers: An unacceptable and intolerable "cure" for the crisis - Press release, September 24th 2010
The AEDH, along with the Luxembourg League for Human Rights (ALOS-LDH) and the French League for Human Rights (LDH), supports the initiatives undertaken by trade unions and associations to denounce the legislative changes introducing a de facto distinction between resident and cross-border workers in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The European Commission and Parliament must intervene immediately; Roma cannot be used as scapegoats anymore - Press release, September 2nd 2010
Roma are considered as the main reason for insecurity in several European countries. By putting them in the news, the government makes them responsible for economic and social difficulties, for austerity measures happening in these countries and makes them hostages of political higher bids.
The AEDH asks members of the European Parliament not to approve the readmission agreement with Pakistan - Press release, 12 July 2010
The AEDH is deeply concerned about the content and practical enforcement of the readmission agreement signed between the European Union and Pakistan and calls on MEPs to reject it. It raises significant concerns about the respect of human rights and in particular those of refugees.
The Agreement between the European Community and Pakistan on readmission raises significant questions concerning the respect of human rights - Press release, 26 April 2010
The AEDH challenges the manner in which a readmission agreement between the European Union and Pakistan would be implemented. The Agreement concerns Pakistani nationals and individuals who have transited through Pakistan, particularly Afghan nationals, who would be irregular on the territory of the European Union.
Personal data: a comic book to raise awareness among European young adults - Press release, 7 April 2010
Information and communication technologies (telephone, Internet, emails, blogs and social networks) make daily life and relationships with our relatives, friends or even strangers easier.
Questions to the European authorities concerning the agreement between the EU and the United States on the processing of financial messaging data from the EU to the USA - 15 February 2010
AEDH protests against the enforcement of the temporary agreement between the EU and the USA on the processing of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States. In the present document, the AEDH asks about the content and the implications of this agreement. Detailed answers would allow us to be really informed and to determine whether a new agreement is possible from our standpoint.
The agreement between the EU and the United-States on the processing of financial messaging data must not be implemented - Press release, 11 February 2010
AEDH protests against the enforcement of the temporary agreement between the EU and the USA on the processing of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States for the purpose of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. This agreement was approved by the Council on 30 November 2009, to avoid the co-decision procedure of the Lisbon Treaty (enforceable since 1 December 2009) and the observations made by the European Parliament. But it requires the latter’s assent. The parliamentary Committee on “Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs” had the courage to vote against this agreement. We ask the European Parliament to stand against it.
CALL ON MEPs: Guarantee of social rights must be a precondition for economic and financial measures taken by the Heads of State and Government - Press release, 8 February 2010
AEDH calls on MEPs to make a decisive influence on the European Commission and Heads of State and Government, so that measures to face the economic crisis and to settle the budgetary situation of many Member States will not be taken at the expense of the most fragile, the poorest and the social rights.
Kurdish refugees in Corsica: asylum or charter flights? - LDH-AEDH-FIDH-REMDH joint press release, 23 January 2010
On Friday, January 22nd, a ship dropped off 140 people on the south coast of Corsica. These people were exhausted and starved. They are women and children desperately trying to escape from what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls “terror and misery”. These people are Kurds from Syria, fleeing one of the worst possible existences under one of the worst possible regimes. They are seeking asylum.
Rosarno, Reggio di Calabria: Call for appeasement measures respectful of Human rights - Press release, 8 January 2010
The European association for the defense of Human rights, AEDH, joins forces with the Liga Italiana dei Diritti dell’Uomo, LIDU, to ask that Italian authorities take the vital appeasement steps necessary to re-establish a constructive dialogue between the authorities in charge of public safety, the local population and immigrants living in the town of Rosarno (Reggio de Calabre).
A motion for rejection of the European Parliament to denounce the denial of democracy in the setting up of the new European Police Office Europol - Press release, 2 December 2009
On the eve of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Council of the European Union adopted on November 30, 2009, four draft decisions on the setting up of the European Police Office Europol on January 1, 2010 . This haste has led the European Parliament to vote a motion for rejection of those draft decisions in order to denounce the denial of democracy. The ordinary legislative co decision procedure established by the Lisbon Treaty should have been the obvious solution since the new Treaty was about to enter into force, but Member States disregarded it and imposed their choice against the MEPs’ opinion.
Access to information and communication networks is a fundamental right - Press release, 27 November 2009
AEDH wishes to point out that access to information and communication, and therefore the Internet, is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Consequently, any move to restrict access to the Internet should be exceptional and must only be decided upon by judicial authorities within a framework that recognises the right of defense. AEDH is therefore deeply concerned about the withdrawal of “amendment 138” from the Telecoms Package.
The AEDH says "No!" to joint return flights - Press release, November, 9th 2009
The EU heads of state and government that met within the European Council on
29-30 October 2009 came to an agreement regarding the "examination of the possibility of regular chartering financed by FRONTEX [the European agency in charge of managing the EU’s external borders] of joint return flights." Accordingly, they have invited the Commission to present proposals to this end in early 2010.
The AEDH has always expressed its opposition to organising "charter flights" to return migrants to their country of origin or even a country of transit.
Human Rights must be the cornerstone, not just a reference, of the Stockholm Programme - Press release, October, 7th 2009
The European Association for the Defense of Human Rights (AEDH) welcomes the adoption for the upcoming 5 years of a Programme on the “freedom, security and justice area” which will succeed the Hague Programme. AEDH wishes for a more global and balanced Programme, in the vein of the 1999 Tampere Programme. The Hague Programme took a security-based and sectoral approach that tended to confuse security, criminality and migration. This led to discriminative legislative content that often infringed on Fundamental Rights. AEDH took a position many times on the topic through its reports and press releases.
Alarming rise of the extreme right in the European Parliament - Press release, June, 15th 2009
After the results of the European elections, the AEDH expresses its deep concern regarding the rise of the extreme right in several EU Member States.
The asylum and the rise of racist violence in Greece - Press release, June 3rd 2009
The Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR) and the European League for Human Rights (AEDH) express their deep concern about the emergency of the asylum system and the rise of xenophobia and racist violence in Greece. HLHR and AEDH propose policy solutions and immediate remedy action in order to avoid escalation of phenomena of violation of human rights with a highly negative impact on victims and society.
The European Union must change its asylum and immigration policy - Press release, April, 2nd 2009
The new tragedy that just happened off the coast of Libya shows to the extent that European policies took to prevent immigration which is said to be illegal, are not only inefficient, but daily putting human lives in danger.
No to the presence of those who make racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic comments at the head of public media - Press release, April, 1st 2009
The AEDH joins with Otwarta Rzeczpospolita - Open Republic to its protest against the appointment of a neo-fascist to the position of President of the Polish public television, TVP and calls for vigilance regarding the persistence and the increase of anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Poland
Solving the current crisis with economic and social rights - Press release, March, 13th 2009
The economic and financial crisis is worsening and leaves its impact on all people and economic sectors of the different member states of the European Union. Due to the growing unemployment and the threats on the social protection systems, this could lead to a major social crisis. Moreover, the ecological crisis demands urgent measures that could however facilitate a solution to the economic crisis.
Emergency in Lampedusa - Press release, February 3rd, 2009
February, 3rd, 2009. In view of the deterioration in the situation on the island of Lampedusa, the Italian authorities, supported by the European authorities, must make every effort to stop an intolerable situation for migrants, who are affected in their rights and their dignity, and for the island’s inhabitants who showed their solidarity.
The European association for the defense of Human rights condamns the Return directive - Press release, December 8th, 2008
Leaving one’s country is a right. Nevertheless, leaving one’s country can imply 18 months of detention, if the Council passes the directive on return of illegal immigrants.
Sanction those who exploit, not those who are exploited - Press release, October 27th, 2008
Sanctioning employers who exploit illegally-staying third-country nationals must not result in sanction of those who are exploited; yet, this is the outcome under the proposal for a directive currently being discussed by Parliament and the Council.
The European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) creates new risks for the protection of personal data - Press release, October 7th, 2008
On June 2007, the Council reached a political agreement on a project for a directive on the organization and the content of exchanges between member states of information extracted from criminal records. On May the 27th, 2008, the Commission presented a proposal for a Council decision on the establishment of the European criminal records information system (ECRIS).
The European pact on migration and asylum - Press release, July 9th, 2008
The "European pact on migration and asylum" confirms the securitarian political orientation of the European Union regarding migration and asylum.
Return Directive: Press release - June, 19th 2008
A majority of MEPs took on heavy responsibilities by passing the directive on the return of third-country nationals.
The Council’s proposed amendment of the Framework Directive on combating terrorism: a new threat for civil liberties - Press release, April 14th, 2008
The AEDH considers this new initiative as an additional dangerous development in the fight against terrorism, which, in no way complying with the principle of proportionality, increasingly tends to hold citizens in its invasive grip and to infringe individual and collective liberties.
AEDH calls on members of European parliaments to vote "no" to the draft directive on the returning of illegaly staying third-country nationals - Press release, January 14th, 2008
AEDH is asking European members of Parliament not to approve the draft directive “on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals”, that will be proposed to their vote.
No to the generalised use of air passenger databases, Europe should not be transformed from an area of freedom to a surveillance zone - Press release, November 16th, 2007
AEDH has been watching, with great concern, the transformation of Europe from a haven of civil liberties to a surveillance zone. The number of initiatives drawn up to combat a vague, ill-defined terrorist threat has been multiplying in the European area. Such moves attempt to subject European and foreign citizens living or travelling in Europe to restrictions that go against the fundamental principles of the human rights protection. These include, among others, the use of biometric passports, the possibility of trading information between judicial and police authorities through the Treaty of Prüm system, and access to the Schengen Information System by other police organisations such as EUROPOL and EURODAC.
Deportation measures clearly aimed at Romanian migrants are shameful and unacceptable - Press release, November 15th, 2007
The Lega Italiana dei Diritti dell’ Uomo, LIDU, and the European Association for Human Rights, EAHR, of which the LIDU is a member, wish to make their position known concerning the “dispute” on migrants, particularly those who are EU citizens residing in Italy.
