Over 360 human rights organizations and activists, including the International Federation for Human Rights and eleven of its member groups, urged the European Union to reject the proposed “Omnibus” directive, arguing that it would significantly weaken corporate sustainability laws. The proposal, introduced by the European Commission in February, aims to streamline corporate sustainability reporting and [...]

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Bulgaria violated the European Convention on Human Rights by denying a journalist access to the acquittal judgment of a former Minister of Internal Affairs in a high-profile criminal case. The court found that Bulgaria’s refusal to provide access to the judgment violated Article 10 of [...]

The EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) reported on Monday that asylum applications across the EU+ (the EU member states plus Norway and Switzerland) decreased by 11 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. The decline interrupted a three-year trend of applications exceeding one million annually. The report attributed the drop primarily to a shift [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Monday that escalating conflicts and deepening societal divisions are fueling “turbulence and unpredictability” across the globe. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk called for renewed commitments to international law and human rights, emphasizing the urgent need for collective action in multiplying crises. [...]

The European Parliament’s Türkiye rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, expressed concern on Monday that persistent human rights violations and regression on democratic standards in Türkiye are receiving diminished criticism from the European Union (EU) due to Ankara’s perceived shift away from its candidacy for EU membership. Amor highlighted the EU’s waning focus on Türkiye’s accession process, [...]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized “warmongers” for prolonging ongoing conflicts worldwide on Monday, calling on leaders to uphold international law and the UN Charter. The statement marks the beginning of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  Guterres emphasized the impact of [...]

Amnesty International on Tuesday criticized a proposed French bill that seeks to ban “ostensibly religious” clothing and symbols in all sports competitions, arguing it would violate human rights and disproportionately target Muslim women and girls. The French Senate is set to debate and vote on the bill, which would extend existing restrictions to all sports [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Monday that the European Union’s insufficient action regarding Rwanda’s support of the M23 rebels has exacerbated the violence and atrocities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On February 13, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the EU to freeze direct budget support to Rwanda until it ceases backing [...]

The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights raised concerns Tuesday regarding Greece’s treatment of migrants and the human rights of Roma communities. The statement comes after the commissioner concluded a visit to Greece earlier this month. Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty met with Greek officials, NGOs, and affected individuals to investigate reports of migrant pushbacks, poor [...]

The European Commission (EC) issued a statement on Monday addressing concerns over the potential imposition of additional US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium exports. The Commission emphasized that it has not received any formal notification from US authorities regarding implementing such tariffs. The EC stated it would not directly respond to broad announcements without [...]