Europe

Italy is summarily returning unaccompanied migrant children and adult asylum seekers to Greece, where they face a dysfunctional asylum system and abusive detention conditions, Human Rights Watch said in a report published today. Stowaways on ferries from Greece, including children…

Demonstrators met in Omonia Square in Athens to protest against discrimination, bearing banners with slogans such as, “Neo Nazis out” and “Justice for the fascist murderers of Shezad Luqman,” a murdered immigrant. Two men, one aged 25 and a fireman,…

The latest figures Pressenza could find date back to the last decade and showed that teenage pregnancy rates in the UK were the highest of all European Union countries.  Peter Tatchell proposes changes to Britains antiquated, moralist views of sex…

The French National Assembly should approve a bill for marriage equality, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to members of the assembly. “From a human rights perspective, broadening the scope of civil marriage to couples of the same…

The “Fourteenth Annual Report on Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment” reveals that in 2011 European Union (EU) countries licensed arms exports valued at €37.5 billion – an increase of almost one fifth on 2010. The largest and…

Germany and Switzerland: two solid financial rocks in the EU crisis or just fantastic at “social maquillage”? (with thanks to Mr. Kundera). These days the EU is going through serious growing pains. The economic disciplining is in full motion and…

The Ukrainian government should condemn homophobic speech and attacks on a peaceful protest in Kiev on December 8, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The rally by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and human rights groups commemorated Human Rights…

The European Union should urge President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming EU-Russia summit meeting to end the crackdown on Russia’s civil society, Human Rights Watch said today. The 30th summit meeting since two sides started meeting regularly will be on…

By Tomas Magnusson, co-president of the International Peace Bureau Leaders of the European Union (EU) will gather in Oslo to receive an increasingly controversial Nobel Peace Prize. Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and industrialist, established the five prizes by his…

Russia’s parliament should reject a proposed bill that would violate Russians’ freedom of expression and discriminate against and stigmatize Russia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. On December 19, 2012, the Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, is scheduled…