Documents by topic : Justice and citizenship

The European Parliament's 2009 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to Russian civil rights defence organization Memorial, and their three representatives Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, as well as all other human rights defenders in Russia. The winner was announced by EP President Jerzy Buzek in Strasbourg on 22 October. The prize ceremony will take place in Strasbourg on 16 December.

The EU policy area broadly known as 'justice and citizenship' covers a series of important areas such as European police and customs cooperation and asylum and immigration policy. With new plans for European cooperation being debated in these areas over the coming weeks and months, we look at them and some other issues such as music copyright, a new right of citizens' initiative and maternity leave.

Palestinian gynaecologist Izzeldin Abuelaish, Swedish-Eritrean journalist and political prisoner Dawit Isaak and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Oleg Orlov and Sergei Kovalev on behalf of Memorial and all other human rights defenders in Russia are the three finalists for this year's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, the European Parliament's award for human rights and democracy campaigners. The winner will be chosen 22 October.

Over 3 million people around the world have lost their jobs due to the financial crisis and, according to the UN, economic recovery is unlikely to reach those that have suffered most - poor women and children. The worsening poverty and violence suffered by women were highlighted in Parliament's Women’s Rights Committee on 30 September.

The human rights situation in Russia's North Caucasus was discussed at a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday (30 September). Members were joined by journalists and human rights activists from the region who painted a grim picture of human rights abuses and impunity for those who commit them. They called on the EU to use a planned Partnership Agreement with Russia to exert more pressure of the Kremlin.

By the time of his death in the Moscow winter 20 years ago, Andrei Sakharov had built an international reputation as a nuclear physicist, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner His fears over the implications of his work led him to call for peaceful coexistence and later for human rights in the USSR. This led the European Parliament to found a human rights prize in his honour. In his 1968 essay on peace he wrote that "intellectual freedom is essential to human society".

The ten nominations for this year's Sakharov Prize, the EP's prize for defenders of human rights and democracy, have now been put forward and will be officially presented at the end of the month at a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Development Committee and the Human Rights Subcommittee. The winner will be chosen on 22 October and the prize will be ceremonially awarded mid-December.

Leading MEPs have joined Nicole Kidman and the UN in the "Say NO to violence against women" campaign. Some 5 million people worldwide have already added their names to the campaign. Violence is estimated to affect 1 in 3 women at some point in their lives and in an internet campaign Ms Kidman called this "an appalling human rights violation" but one "that is not inevitable".

Conditions in many centres housing asylum seekers and refugees are "intolerable" according to new findings by MEPs on the Civil Liberties Committee. After several years of research into centres around Europe they have identified poor hygiene, overcrowding and a lack of medical care as key concerns.

MEPs believe "the right to speak and to be educated in one's mother tongue is one of the most basic fundamental rights” and on Tuesday Hungarian Socialist Csaba Tabajdi and five other MEPs grilled the Commission on its plans to protect traditional national, ethnic and immigrant minorities in Europe. We asked him more.

Tuesday morning MEPs will debate new legislation that will punish employers who employ illegal immigrants. Fines, paying back wages and even criminal sanctions are proposed in the directive. It is estimated that 4-8 million non-EU citizens work across the 27-member bloc. They often work as builders, farm labourers, cleaners and in the hotel trade.

The abduction of children by a parent can be deeply distressing for children and adults alike. It can be particularly complicated when the parents live in different countries with differing legal systems. German Socialist Evelyne Gebhardt is the European Parliament's Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction. We spoke to her about what the role entails.

Later this year all European Union members and 3 other states will start issuing biometric passports which contain fingerprints and facial recognition features. These measures come in a bid to tackle terrorism, crime and illegal border migration. At 15:00 Tuesday MEPs will debate the new passports.

Last year's winner of the Sakharov Prize Salih Mahmoud Osman from Sudan's conflict-torn region of Darfur was in Parliament yesterday to commemorate the work of those who champion human rights. He said what is happening in Darfur is worse than Rwanda and called on China, in particular, to review its policy there.

Celebrating 20 years of the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, 16 previous laureates gathered in Strasbourg to share their views on global human rights, and the importance of the Sakharov Prize.

Sakharov human rights prize awarded to China's Hu Jia

Article - Human rights - 18-12-2008 - 10:27

The award of the 2008 Sakharov prize for human rights to jailed Chinese dissident Hu Jia took place at midday Wednesday. In his absence his wife gave an emotional and moving video message from under house arrest in Beijing to MEPs today. Zeng Jinyan spoke about her husband's poor health and his continued fight for human rights. A symbolic empty chair was in the middle of the Chamber for Hu Jia.

A belief in democracy and universal human rights can be a two-edged sword. Defenders often face discrimination, intimidation and even physical attack. Several laureates symbolise the appeal against oppression, religious fundamentalism or work in labour camps.

Next week MEPs vote on a new "blue card" scheme for skilled migrants. It is intended to tackle the shortfall in highly qualified people in areas like IT and engineering. We asked some potential future blue card holders what they think.

1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the armistice that ended the fighting in the First World War came into effect. A ceremony this morning in Verdun - scene of some of the worst slaughter - will be attended by Parliament's President Hans-Gert Pöttering.

The press and media are said make up the fourth estate, after government, parliament and the courts. Their freedom is vital to in any society which truly values freedom of thought. To defend the freedom of the press is to defend the highest values. No surprise then that past Sakharov winners include several who have stood up for journalists and their work in the most challenging circumstances.

There are an estimated 4-8 million immigrants working illegally in the European Union. They often do jobs many Europeans are unwilling to do and supplement an ageing workforce. MEPs on the Civil Liberties Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to back a proposed directive that aims to stop the illegal exploitation of workers using fines and criminal measures on employers.

When you fight against oppression or harassment, you might find joining forces helpful. Several human rights activists realised that founding a group made them stronger. Your voice is louder and there is support in the fight. In the second of our Sakharov slideshows we look at groups who have fought for human rights.

The universal nature of human rights and the importance of religious freedom. These were two crucial themes stressed by the UN's top human rights envoy when she spoke to MEPs recently. South African Navanethem Pillay was in parliament for a conference to celebrate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize every year to people who have dedicated their lives to defending human rights and mutual understanding. This year the Sakharov Prize celebrates its 20th anniversary. To mark this occasion, we have grouped the winners by the causes they have espoused and defended. This week - those who strove for reconciliation.

Sakharov Prize 2008 awarded to Hu Jia

Article - Human rights - 23-10-2008 - 12:45

The European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded this year to Chinese political activist Hu Jia, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering announced in Strasbourg today. The prize ceremony will take place in Strasbourg on 17 December.

Divorcing someone of another nationality can be legal and emotional nightmare. Monday evening sees MEPs debate a new Europe-wide guidelines that would clarify which country's Courts have jurisdiction in such cases. This could help clarify who would get custody of children and property. In Europe there are over 170,000 such divorces a year.

Human rights need more than declarations, they also require people like community activists, journalists, lawyers and trade unionists to defend them. On 8-9 October human rights activists were centre stage as parliament hosted an international conference: "Defenders take the floor" to hear about these experiences.

Women cleaning the kitchen, men polishing their cars - two images we often see on our TV screens. But are these realistic and do they just play up (or down) to stereotypes about the role of men and women - and in doing so undermine efforts to achieve equality between the sexes? Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson from the left (GUE/NGL) group certainly believes this to be the case. We caught up with her ahead of Parliament's debate on Tuesday evening on her own initiative report.

The extent to which decisions made by judges in one European country should be recognised by authorities in another is one issue that MEPs will debate Monday in Brussels. Also on the agenda is a series of justice and citizenship initiatives such as increasing burden sharing between European countries when it comes to dealing with asylum applications. Also, MEPs will back Madeline McCann-inspired emergency cooperation measures for missing children between EU states.

Ahead of international women's day this Saturday 8 March, we had a look at the balance between the sexes in the European Parliament and at other legislatures around Europe. At present 31% of the 785 MEPs are female - up from 17% in 1979 when the first direct elections were held. Top of the list in terms of parity are the Netherlands and Estonia who both have 50%, while Malta and Cyprus have only male representatives.