Human rights

The flow of migrants and refugees along the Balkan trail is turning into a humanitarian crisis, with no recognition of the needs of vulnerable categories. Reports of violence by the Bulgarian police

Turkey is hosting some 2 million Syrian refugees, but won’t grant them refugee status. This, and the tough life they are leading, drives them to try heading towards Europe

The Hungarian wall, on the border with Serbia, casts a first curtain on the Balkan Trail, forcing refugees to change course and head to Croatia, making their journey even more difficult. Seventh and final episode of our correspondent's diary

From Macedonia to the border with Serbia. The refugees cross the border and head for Preševo. Fifth episode of the travelogue by our correspondent on the Balkan Trail

The jail sentence inflicted on investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova is the latest episode in the fight against freedom of speech in Azerbaijan

The trial of Khadija Ismayilova, the main investigative Azerbaijani journalists in prison since last December, began last July 24 and may close as early as this week

Chronicle of a journey along the border between Hungary and Serbia in late June and early July, a week from the building of a new wall in Europe. Second Episode

Following a month-long deadlock, the Kosovo Assembly has finally voted the law establishing a Special Court to judge the KLA alleged war crimes

In Diyarbakır, southeastern Turkey, there are at least 20,000 refugees, including many Yazidis, who dream of reaching Europe. Second part of the report

According to the latest UNHCR estimates, approximately 1.770,000 refugees have reached Turkey since 2011 to date. We devote a report to their situation in Istanbul, Diyarbakir, and Urfa. The first episode

The commemorations of the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide will be taking place in a town where hardly anyone lives any more

The stand of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights ahead of the Srebrenica commemoration. Addressing the needs of the victims of the genocide must be the priority

The European Games are not bringing to Azerbaijan the positive media coverage its authorities had expected, investing millions on the event. The best deal was Lady Gaga's

Human rights officials highlight the crackdown on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan ahead of the inauguration of the European Games in Baku

The Sarajevo Women's Court and transitional justice in the former Yugoslavia: preliminary reflections

The European Games in Baku are only a month away, while the list of the country's political prisoners keeps on growing

The first Women's Tribunal in Europe took place in Sarajevo between May 7^th and 10^th. The participants came from all the countries of the former Yugoslavia

Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, made public on 10 March his report on the state of human rights in Armenia. Our interview

A process that began in the eighties is about – perhaps – to come to completion 35 years later. Slovenia's new Family Code puts LGBT couples on the same level as heterosexual ones. But the shadow of a possible referendum looms on the new law

In June 2015, Baku will host the European Games. Human Rights watchdogs believe the international event will serve to whitewash the country’s deteriorating rights reputation

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of a female student in Turkey, women associations come out in anger: "We are not mourning, we are in revolt"

On January 28th, at the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels, OBC hosted a discussion on media freedom in Europe. The welcoming speech of our director, Luisa Chiodi, summarizing the achievements of the project “Safety Net for European Journalists”

The arrest on spurious charges of investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova is being met by a disturbing silence of the international community, and shows there are no more boundaries for the Aliyev regime

A tragic event shows the downhill path taken by Slovenian journalism – more and more scandal, less and less ethics

Hundreds of journalists have been killed around the world in the past decade, with nine out of ten cases going unpunished, the UN and independent press freedom groups said in statements marking the first-ever International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2nd

After last September's visit to Crimea, Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights Nils Muižnieks issued a report highlighting several human rights violations, severe intimidations, and attacks against journalists. Our interview

The Caviar diplomacy continues to be successful. The alarm messages arriving form Azerbaijan on systematic violations of human rights in the country are constantly dropping into the void

Since the beginning of its presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights organisation, Azerbaijan has been placing more and more people behind bars. A jarring contrast no one seems to notice

In her documentary "Aici... adica acolo", the journalist and director Laura Capatana addresses the issue of children left behind in Romania leading us through the daily lives of two teenagers

Baku currently chairs the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights organization, while cracking down on political prisoners at home