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BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Significant increase' in inmates sees rise in cell sharing in NI prisons
Northern Ireland prisons have a "high density" of inmates, with cell sharing at Maghaberry jail on the increase in order to deal with space 40% (567) of prisoners at Maghaberry share cells, a practice referred to as comes as a new report for the Council of Europe (CoE), the human rights watchdog, notes a "significant increase" of prisoners in Northern is primarily driven by remanding people into custody before conviction or sentencing. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said members of the Prison Service have contacted him recently to raise a number of claimed there are "rising tensions" at Maghaberry, partly due to "low staff levels".The Prison Service said newly trained officers have been deployed to the jail, with a further class of recruits set to join them in two weeks' Ireland's prisoner population currently stands at 2,139, which is up by more than 200 on a year largest prison, Maghaberry, has 1,470 inmates, 737 (50%) of whom are being held on remand. Last year, Maghaberry had to re-open a disused cell block to increase its CoE report describes Northern Ireland as having a "high prison density".But it did not define the situation as overcrowding - this is when there are more than 100 inmates per 100 on data for 2023-24, it said Northern Ireland had 86 prisoners per 100 places.A spokesperson for the Prison Service said: "Whilst challenging, the prison population in Northern Ireland has not yet exceeded available capacity, and we continue to prioritise safe, decent, and secure custody."The Prison Service is working with partners across the justice system to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the current population, with a particular focus on remand."Every day prison staff perform their challenging roles with dedication and professionalism."
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Legal blackout in Eastern Europe: No lawyers, no justice, no questions
On July 15, 2025, Moldovan lawyers went on strike. Legal professionals halted all activities, suspended participation in court proceedings, and declared that providing legal assistance during the strike would be considered a disciplinary breach. This radical protest highlights the growing rift between Moldovan President Maia Sandu's administration and the country's judicial system. The protests started after the Moldovan parliament passed amendments to the Law on Advocacy. According to the Moldovan Union of Lawyers, this reform was imposed without any consultation with the legal community and aims to undermine the very autonomy of the profession. The new provisions limit the terms of the members of the Bar Association, transfer key powers to the Ministry of Justice, and remove the Ethics Commission's ability to request materials for investigating complaints. Critics argue that this package of measures is designed to place the legal profession under political control, effectively transforming it into an arm of the executive branch. This is not merely a technical issue. It revolves around the balance of power, trust in institutions, and ultimately, Moldova's ability to continue its journey toward EU integration. The Union of Lawyers is not an isolated entity; it has received direct support from the Council of Europe and the European Union in recent years through programs aimed at strengthening its independence and self-regulation. Brussels has been closely monitoring the state of the rule of law in Moldova, especially since the launch of the EUPM mission intended to assist the nation in its fight against corruption and alignment with European standards. However, recent developments threaten to severely undermine confidence in this process. This situation affects more than just lawyers. In February, anti-corruption prosecutor Veronica Dragalin was forced to resign after criticizing the government's decision to merge her office with another prosecution service. In June, five judges of the Constitutional Court were appointed by the ruling party without any public procedure or scrutiny. Meanwhile, dozens of judges and prosecutors have left their posts. All this indicates that the independence of the judicial system is no longer guaranteed. The paradox is striking, since Maia Sandu has built her political image on transparency and a commitment to reform. However, while expressing the intention to bring Moldova into the EU, Sandu's administration ignores recommendations from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, stifles criticism within the country, and appropriates democratic oversight mechanisms. This has led to growing disillusionment not only among legal professionals but also within the parts of society that had hoped for genuine change. The lawyers' protest has already had a political impact: some MPs from the ruling party have publicly acknowledged that the law was passed without real consultations with legal professionals. However, this won't yield any immediate results — since this is a foundational law, any amendments can only be addressed in the next parliamentary session. Meanwhile, the ball is now in President Sandu's court as she decides whether or not to sign the bill. Confronted with such a contentious bill, the only course of action aligned with European values would be to block it. Signing it would effectively legitimize a centralizing and authoritarian trend that runs counter to the principles of transparency, pluralism, and the rule of law that the EU expects from its members. Moldova stands at a crossroads, and the choice is not merely political — it is a question of legal article was first published by Valeurs and was translated and edited by the RT team.
Al Arabiya
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Greek parliament passes suspension of asylum claims despite international criticism
Greece's parliament approved a three-month suspension of asylum claims for migrants arriving from Libya on Friday, despite strong criticism from the UN refugee agency and Europe's top human rights official. The measure suspends asylum application processing for those arriving by sea from North Africa following a dramatic surge in Mediterranean crossings that has overwhelmed reception facilities on the island of Crete. The suspension passed by a vote of 177-74 despite fierce opposition from left-wing parties, which unsuccessfully challenged the amendment as unconstitutional. Thanos Plevris, the migration affairs minister, told lawmakers up to 1,000 migrants were arriving daily and described the situation as resembling an invasion. Authorities are continuing efforts to intercept boats south of Crete and take migrants directly to mainland facilities. The emergency measures drew sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed deep concern. While acknowledging Greece's right to manage borders, UNHCR said border control must be in line with international and European law. Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, also condemned Athens' response, arguing it would legalize returning people to face a risk of torture and other serious violations in breach of (Greece's international) obligations.
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Greek parliament passes suspension of asylum claims despite international criticism
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's parliament approved a three-month suspension of asylum claims for migrants arriving from Libya on Friday, despite strong criticism from the United Nations refugee agency and Europe's top human rights official. The measure suspends asylum application processing for those arriving by sea from North Africa, following a dramatic surge in Mediterranean crossings that has overwhelmed reception facilities on the island of Crete. The suspension passed by a vote of 177-74 despite fierce opposition from left-wing parties, which unsuccessfully challenged the amendment as unconstitutional. Thanos Plevris, the migration affairs minister, told lawmakers up to 1,000 migrants were arriving daily and described the situation as resembling an 'invasion.' Authorities are continuing efforts to intercept boats south of Crete and take migrants directly to mainland facilities. The emergency measures drew sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed 'deep concern.' While acknowledging Greece's right to manage borders, UNHCR said border control 'must be in line with international and European law.' Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, also condemned Athens' response, arguing it 'would legalize returning people to face a risk of torture and other serious violations, in breach of (Greece's international) obligations.'
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia has committed flagrant human rights abuses in Ukraine since 2014, rules ECHR
Russia has committed flagrant and unprecedented abuses of human rights since it invaded Ukraine in 2014, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and forced labour, the European court of human rights has found. The court's grand chamber unanimously held that between 11 May 2014 and 16 September 2022, when Russia ceased to be a party to the European convention on human rights it had committed 'manifestly unlawful conduct … on a massive scale'. Pro-Russia armed groups entered the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine in 2014 and Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. In its judgment, published on Wednesday, the court said there was evidence of widespread and systemic use of sexual violence, accompanied by acts of torture, such as beatings, strangling or electric shocks. Civilians and prisoners of war were subjected to mock executions, the severing of body parts and electric shocks, including to intimate areas of their bodies, the court said. Finding repeated violations of the convention, many of which had taken place over a period of more than eight years, the court said: 'These actions seek to undermine the very fabric of the democracy on which the Council of Europe and its member states are founded by their destruction of individual freedoms, their suppression of political liberties and their blatant disregard for the rule of law. 'In none of the conflicts previously before the court has there been such near universal condemnation of the 'flagrant' disregard by the respondent state for the foundations of the international legal order established after the second world war.' Ukraine hailed the judgment as 'historic and unprecedented', saying it was an 'undeniable victory'. Russia did not participate in the proceedings and said it would ignore the judgment. Violations identified by the court included: Indiscriminate military attacks. Summary executions of civilians and Ukrainian military personnel. Torture, including the use of rape as a weapon of war. Unlawful and arbitrary detention of civilians. Unjustified displacement and transfer of civilians. Intimidation, harassment and persecution of all religious groups other than adherents of the historically Moscow-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox church. Intimidation and violence against journalists and new laws prohibiting and penalising the dissemination of information in support of Ukraine. Forcible dispersal by the Russian military of peaceful protests in occupied towns and cities. Destruction, looting and expropriation of property. Suppression of the Ukrainian language in schools and indoctrination of Ukrainian schoolchildren. Transfer to Russia, and in many cases, the adoption there of Ukrainian children. The court said: 'The prevalence of sexual violence and rape by Russian soldiers in occupied territory is especially abhorrent. The evidence shows the extreme violence of the circumstances in which women were raped or sexually assaulted and the intent to terrorise, humiliate and debase them … In addition to the impact on the direct victims, the raping of women and girls in the context of an armed conflict has also been described as a means for the aggressor to symbolically and physically humiliate the defeated men. 'Rape or the threat of rape is also used to drive communities off lands or to heighten terror during attacks. The evidence also attests to the horrific sexual violence frequently perpetrated upon male detainees. The sexual abuse, torture and mutilation of male detainees is often carried out to attack and destroy their sense of masculinity or manhood.' Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The judges said that sexual violence and rape were deployed in Ukraine after the February 2022 invasion 'as part of a military strategy to dehumanise, humiliate and break the morale of the Ukrainian population, as individuals and as a community, and to assert dominance over Ukrainian sovereign territory'. The court will decide on whether to order compensation at a later date. However, Russia has previously told the court of its intention not to enforce judgments or pay damages. A total of 26 signatory states to the convention intervened as third parties in the case and expressed their support for making Russia accountable for violations of human rights arising from its invasion of Ukraine. The court also found that the shooting down of flight MH17 using a missile supplied and transported to eastern Ukraine by the Russian Federation, resulting in the deaths of all 298 civilians onboard, was in breach of the convention.
