German Foreign Minister Baerbock: We need to set up the Council of Europe for a new era in European history
Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly, Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on member states to reaffirm their commitment to the core values of the Council of Europe at the upcoming summit of heads of state and government, which in particular means all member states respecting the European Convention on Human Rights and implementing the Court judgments. “In this era […]
Special Court for Ukraine: How to Prosecute War Crimes committed in Ukraine by Russian forces when Russia has not Accepted the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, January 19, 2023, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) demanded the Russian political and military leadership be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The European Parliament says the atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Irpin and many other Ukrainian towns reveal the brutality of the […]
United Nations General Assembly Requests Second Landmark Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice relating to the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territory 20 Years after the First One
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 77/400, requesting an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the following questions relating to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory: The UNGS resolution, asks the ICJ – pursuant to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court – to render its opinion […]
European Commission recommends EU funds of 7,5 billion EUR for Hungary remain frozen
While recommending the freezing of EU funds under the rule of law conditionality mechanism, the European Commission gave a formal green light to Hungary’s recovery plan. However, the disbursement of the recovery money would be linked to 27 ‘supermilestones’. On 30 November 2022, the European Commission decided to unblock the €5.8 billion recovery plan […]
MH17 Plane over Ukraine: Dutch Court Sentences Three Men, Two of Them Russian, Life Imprisonment for Downing of MH17 Flight over Ukraine in 2014
The District Court at the Hague, in the Netherlands, convicted two Russian men and a Ukrainian man in absentia of murder for their role in the shooting down of Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 with the tragic death of 298 passengers and crew, and handed them life sentences on November 17, 2022. The judgment […]
Georgia: Council of Europe Secretary General’s Consolidated Report on Georgia Says Human Rights Challenges Persist in Conflict-Affected Regions of Georgia that Involve High-Profile Cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court
A high-level report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, was presented to the Committee of Ministers on the human rights situation in Georgia. According to the report, concerns persist regarding the human rights situation in the areas affected by the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia in […]
Georgia: Appeals Court of Tbilisi Upholds Imprisonment for Opposition Journalist, Nika Gvaramia, a former Justice Minister
The Tbilisi Court of Appeals ruled on November 2 that the judgement by a lower court in May 2022, to sentence Gvaramia to 3 ½ years in prison, was upheld under Article 220 of the Criminal Code. Gvaramia is a journalist and founding director of the opposition TV Channel Rustavi-2. Now he must serve the […]
Germany: Berlin Regional Court Referred a Case as a Preliminary Ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Court To Rule on Legality of Hacked EncroChat Phone Evidence, Provided by France, Used by Germany during Trial
Berlin’s Regional Court has referred a case to the Court of Justice of the European Court of Justice (CJEU), based in Luxembourg, for a preliminary ruling asking the Court explicitly whether the use of hacked EncroChat phone evidence complies with European law. The EU Court has been asked to decide whether communications obtained in an […]
Croatia: Improving Data Protection and Efficiency in the Judiciary via Digitalisation
A high-level conference was organised in Zagreb, Croatia, on the project “Digital by default – optimisation of efficiency and quality of judicial services and transparency of judicial decisions” on October 12, 2022 by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. It gathered representatives of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the Croatian Ministry […]
Georgia v. Russia, Inter-State Judgement of the European Court of Human Rights, Has Not Been Implemented by Russia despite Urging Request of the Council of Europe Three Years After Deadline Expired
The Council of Europe’s main decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers has deeply deplored the lack of response of the Russian authorities to the Committee of Minister’s earlier appeals to implement the Georgia v. Russia judgement from the European Court of Human Rights concerning the arrest, detention and collective expulsion of 1,500 Georgian nationals in […]
