International Fair Trial Day – 2023 – Statement on Mexico

Joint Statement (download in English – in Spanish) Legal professional organizations, bar associations, and civil society organisations from Mexico and across the world who gathered for the 2023 International Fair Trial Day conference held in Mexico City on 14 June are united in our condemnation of the injustices and grievous human rights abuses and violations …

ELDH Statement: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023

The European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH) condemns the actions of the UK Government in proceeding to enact the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Legacy Act) following Royal Assent on 18 September 2023. Members of ELDH conducted a fact-finding mission to Ireland in October 2022 as part of an …

Expert opinion on why Turkey cannot be considered as a ‘safe third country’

The extended scope and application of the ‘safe third country’ concept is an essential component of the EU’s ‘New Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and the reform of the Common European Asylum System. The ‘safe third country’ concept, in practice, allows asylum applications of people who have travelled through such a ‘safe third country’ to …

No Criminalisation of Anti-Monarchists in UK

download the statement ELDH unequivocally condemns the arrests in London of anti-monarchist activists, hours before the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May. Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, the leading anti-monarchist NGO, stated that as Republic prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest, he and a number of Republic’s team were arrested and …

Statement – Lawyer’s Day in Turkey

Download the statement On today’s Lawyers’ Day in Turkey, we send our solidarity greetings to the lawyers in Turkey who risk their freedom and lives to stand up for democracy, the rule of law and human rights. We send our greetings to the lawyers of Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ÇHD and Özgürlükçü Hukukçular Derneği (ÖHD) who …

7th anniversary of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement

in Turkish – in Greek March 18 2023 marks the 7th anniversary of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement. In 2016, Turkey assumed the role of the European Union’s border guard. It received billions of Euros from the EU on the condition that it held migrants in Turkey and received those who were deported back. Turkey, however, …