Swift and intense reaction required by Council of Europe for the release of civic activist @MammadliAnar in @CoE member state #Azerbaijan. He is a well-known human rights lawyer, respected for his work monitoring elections and promoting democracy. He received the Vaclav Havel award of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, @PACE_News, in 2014. Reaction should not be left to Assembly - also CoE leadership, Secr General @MarijaPBuric and Committee of Ministers led by @LIEatCoE, should act
With all the scrutiny on Azerbaijan after round after round of arrests of journalists, civic activists, even as it prepares to host upcoming #COP29 , authorities detain prominent civic activist Anar Mammadli. A truly brazen move. He should be released immediately.
๐กInterested in safeguarding Europeโs democratic security? Join the @coe Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) public hearing on the latest Council of Europe list of democratic criteria: the Reykjavik Parameters for Democracy on 10 June.
More info๐ซดhttps://t.co/05J5p0ACYp
In a @coe member country, the main opposition has been decimated by the ruling party through politicised trials, yet neither @alain_berset nor @CommissionerHR has said a word. They are sleepwalking in full swing. @CURE_coe
๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ-๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ, ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐. We must translate the 2025 @CIJ_ICJ Advisory Opinion into concrete, multilateral action.
๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ to protect our planet and our human rights as one mission.
Dependency on fossil fuels threatens global stability. We are driving our planet to its breaking point and witnessing serious impacts on #HumanRights. Current conflicts only reinforce the urgent need to accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable transition to renewable energy that leaves no one behind.
๐นFor more, read my Shout Out๐
https://t.co/a0J1sugg2h
#ClimateICJAO #ungaresolution
๐นRead the draft UNGA resolution๐
https://t.co/uUrJ0fs9uV
Two years to the day after his detention, PACE's general rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan calls for the immediate release of Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli.
Her full statement: https://t.co/bPSoZYEzzH
Swift and intense reaction required by Council of Europe for the release of civic activist @MammadliAnar in @CoE member state #Azerbaijan. He is a well-known human rights lawyer, respected for his work monitoring elections and promoting democracy. He received the Vaclav Havel award of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, @PACE_News, in 2014. Reaction should not be left to Assembly - also CoE leadership, Secr General @MarijaPBuric and Committee of Ministers led by @LIEatCoE, should act
With all the scrutiny on Azerbaijan after round after round of arrests of journalists, civic activists, even as it prepares to host upcoming #COP29 , authorities detain prominent civic activist Anar Mammadli. A truly brazen move. He should be released immediately.
๐ด On 29 April 2024, Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli was detained on trumped-up charges. He remains in pre-trial detention. His health is deteriorating.
๐ด With partners, we are challenging Anarโs detention as unlawful and politically motivated.
#humanrights
Two years to the day after his detention, PACE's general rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan calls for the immediate release of Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli.
Her full statement: https://t.co/bPSoZYEzzH
Report by eight human rights NGOs on deportation of journalist by #Georgia to #Azerbaijan in defiance of @ECHR_CEDH order. Four steps demanded from @coe Secretary General @alain_berset
Georgia arrested a journalist on a fake charge at midnight, deported him to Azerbaijan, ignored a binding European Court order to protect him.
Eight organisations are demanding the Council of Europe acts. It's silence is threatening its credibility.
๐ https://t.co/Ccv2yWBAK9
In these tumultuous times, my focus is twofold: strengthening international ties from Brussels to Geneva and ensuring @coe states recommit to human rights as the bedrock of the emerging global order.
From digital governance to protecting civil society and supporting Ukraine's peace process and recovery, read my February News Roundup for a deep dive into my recent work. ๐
https://t.co/xgAEG5WRlw
#CivilSociety #Ukraine #DigitalGovernance #ChildPoverty #RomaRights
Very much needed blog post by prof Alice Donald and @DrAndrewForde on the 'Chisinau process' of the @coe on the application of the Eur Convention on Human Rights to asylum seekers/migrants. They see serious problems when looking at whether the process is (1) law-basedย rather than driven by political considerations, (2) factualย and evidence-based, (3) firmย on theย principles of the universality of human rights and the @ECHR_CEDH's independence, andย (4) transparentย to the public, four criteria introduced by @CommissionerHR
https://t.co/5DiHzbffd5
"We must stop 'sleepwalking' into legal and ethical crises. We cannot just wait for the courts to tell us that what is being discussed is unlawful. Itโs time to move toward human rights compliance by design, learning from what has failed elsewhere to build what can work here."
At @CEPS_thinktank IdeasLabโs panel on returns and externalisation, I explained how, while effective returns are necessary to maintain the integrity of the international protection system, states must fully adhere to international law. Particular care is necessary when states attempt to externalise return procedures. This is an area replete with human rights risks.
Based on global experience, I set out a few guardrails:
โ Precaution: States must keep their eyes wide open to potential negative impacts on human rights, and act based on facts rather than false assumptions. The European Commission, as Guardian of the EU Treaties, has a key role to play in protecting asylum and other human rights.
โ Transparency and accountability: Arrangements with partner countries must be treaty-based and publicly accessibleโnot informal handshakes.
โ Human rights by design: Impact assessments, risk mitigation strategies and independent human rights monitoring must be hardwired into the system, not added as an afterthought.
โ No responsibility shifting: States cannot abdicate their legal duty to honour the right to seek asylum through third-party arrangements.
โ Avoid risk of refoulement: By ensuring adequate access to remedy, rather than rushed appeal processes with no suspensive effect.
โ Respect the right to liberty: Locking people up is expensive, inefficient, and destroys the trust needed for successful policy. Alternatives to detention exist and should get priority.
โ Refrain from transferring people to countries with which they have no connection, and from applying โsafe countryโ concepts in ways that do not grant adequate value to individual circumstances.
We must stop 'sleepwalking' into legal and ethical crises. We cannot just wait for the courts to tell us that what is being discussed is unlawful. Itโs time to move toward human rights compliance by design, learning from what has failed elsewhere to build what can work here.
#Migration #HumanRights #EUReturnsRegulation #RuleOfLaw #cepslab2026
๐ฅ The European SLAPP Contest is back for 2026!
๐ญ Which legal bully or egregious gag lawsuit deserves to be named and shamed this year?
โจ Nominations are open now: https://t.co/wxevRcfllQ
๐ Winners will be crowned in Sofia, Bulgaria on 28 April.
Happy birthday to the European anthem!
Beethoven's "Ode to joy" was adopted by the @CoE#OnThisDay in 1972 - and was later taken up by the EU.
But did you know it actually started life in PACE? ๐ฝ
... and there of course is a shared interest as well in international law as the backbone of peace and justice, in line with US observer status at @CoE, https://t.co/REUknKEd1r
Read the latest piece by SG @alain_berset on this matter, https://t.co/Hx9b90iPyc
@strasbourg@USAStrasbourg Productive meeting with @alain_berset. We have a shared interest in ending the Russia-Ukraine war and a shared respect for @POTUS achievements to establish peace and end conflicts.
Protecting the European Convention on #HumanRights is a national duty. Speaking at Universitรก Roma Tre, I outlined how states have to protect its integrity: โ Policy grounded in evidence โ Upholding non-refoulement & judicial independence โ Upholding the principles of equality and universality of rights. #ECHR
https://t.co/YwzPVDg3Dl
Message by ๐ฑ๐นPerRep to โฆโฆโฆ@coeโฉ : One year has passed since journalist Mzia Amaghlobeliโs arbitrary arrest in Georgia. Committed to safeguarding media freedom, we reiterate our call on Georgian authorities to release Mzia as well as others unjustly detained.
Call to sign up for the 16 Jan event *Strengthening Democracy: From Words to Action*, an online discussion of civil society folks on the *New Democratic Pact for Europe* proposed by @CoE Secretary General @alain_berset. In which ways can this initiative contribute to the concrete strengthening of democracy?
Introductions by a number of expert speakers, followed by discussion.
A CURE memo identifying seven areas of interest is available, https://t.co/MzXdQqactW:
โข use of @CoE democracy benchmarking schemes;
โข follow-up of outcome of monitoring of elections;
โข how to strengthen democratic culture and civic education;
โข promotion of a sustainable independent public information space;
โข the role of a vibrant civil society;
โข equality of citizens as a precondition for democracy;
โข how to counter democratic backsliding in an early stage.
In addition, an @EPDeu opinion piece taken from the latest CURE Newsletter provides input for the discussion, raising the question of the role of citizens in the creation of the Pact, https://t.co/swb5UgdoDq
Join us online on 16 January 2026, 10am-12pm CET. Registration is open until 12 January 2026, https://t.co/hUNwenna1t