On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) Secretary General Jagland called on Member States to fight discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. “Hate crime motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity is … More

Strasbourg, 13/5/2013 – Europe has been experiencing a worrying intensification of activities of racist extremist organisations, including political parties. According to some commentators, the upsurge has even reached the point of “an early form of far right terror”. “It worries … More

Strasbourg, 03/5/2013 – “As growing portions of journalistic activity take place on the Internet, Europe has not become a safer place for those expressing critical opinions. Clearly, people reporting can reach out faster and to a broader audience than before. … More

Strasbourg, 03.05.2013 – Overcrowding is a problem in half of the European penitentiary administrations, according to the 2011 Council of Europe Penal Statistics (SPACE I) survey published today. On average, in September 2011, European prisons were at the top of … More

On the occassion of the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Secretary General Jagland urges governments to fully respect the right to freedom of expression and to a free press. He warns that journalists still face oppression and censorship … More