Statement against the banning of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
The undersigned organisations, active in the field of democracy and human rights protection and promotion, are deeply concerned about the ongoing case before the Constitutional Court in Turkey regarding closure of the opposition party. HDP was founded on October 15, 2012 and has since been a vital part of political life in Turkey. Our organisations…
Failure of the United Kingdom to investigate and prosecute murders
Download the ELDH Press Release ELDH condemns the abject failure of the United Kingdom to investigate and prosecute murders which took place 30 and more years ago ELDH, with individual members and lawyers’ associations in 21 European countries, shares the “deep concern” and “profound concern” expressed by the 1428th Meeting on 8-9 March 2022 of…
ELDH Statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine (update)
Download statement ELDH Statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine The ELDH condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014 and intensifying since February 24, 2022. This military incursion is unjustifiable. It constituted a violation of the UN Charter’s prohibition of the use of force (Article 2(4), and of the territorial…
ELDH Statement on torture in Basqe Country/Spain
download the statement The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH) is gravely concerned at the recent criminal trial in Spain of the ETA spokesperson Iratxe Sorzabal. We note that it was she who announced the end of ETA’s armed activity, and led to its dissolution. On 7-8 January 2022 the Special…
Press Release on British Collusion in Ireland
Download the Press Release The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (“the ELDH”) condemns the involvement of agents of the British Government in the killing of 11 people in South Belfast, as confirmed by the release of the Operation Achille Report on 8 February 2022. The ELDH strongly supports the right in…
RESTORE REFUGEE RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE EU BORDER WITH BELARUS
download the statement The human tragedy at the EU border with Belarus is yet another example of the EU’s failed refugee policy. The criminal treatment of refugees in Croatia recently revealed by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the countless drowned refugees in the Mediterranean and recently in the English Channel, and…
FOR AN EFFECTIVE RECOGNITION OF THE SPECIFIC GROUNDS FOR ASYLUM FOR WOMEN, GIRLS AND LGBTIQA+ PEOPLE
Sexual and gender-based violence (including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, genital mutilation, trafficking, discriminatory legislation, repudiation, deprivation of their children) pushes many women, girls and LGBTIQA+ people to flee their countries and seek asylum in Europe. These people are almost systematically exposed to violence and exploitation along the migration route: sexual violence by smugglers…
ELDH Statement on Israel’s declaration that six Palestinian civil society groups are “terrorist organisations”
Dowload the statement The European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH) with members in 21 European countries, joins several United Nations Human Rights Special Rapporteurs, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and many humanitarian, development, human rights and faith organisations working to support the rights and welfare of the Palestinian people, to condemn the…
ELDH condemns the fascist attack against the most important Italian trade union, CGIL.
Download the statement This attack took place as part of a strong and extremely worrying rise of the fascist, racist and homophobic right in Europe. As such it must not be understood separately from various recent episodes, like the proposal of a series of EU governments to build, with EU finance , a separation wall…
European Lawyers demand: No impunity for those responsible for ISIS crimes
Download statement ELDH is gravely concerned about several reports of cases in Turkey in which those responsible for ISIS crimes have not been adequately prosecuted and convicted. Just a few days ago Turkey’s Constitutional Court rejected an application demanding the prosecution of public officials over their negligence in the Suruç massacre. Turkish lawyers in the…