Today, the Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks published a letter sent on 4 October to Mr Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Minister of the Interior of Spain, in which he raises concerns regarding allegations of disproportionate use of force by law enforcement authorities in Catalonia on 1 October 2017. More...

The 47-nation Council of Europe and the 28-member European Union have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October.
The statement underlines the two organisations’ firm opposition to capital punishment in any circumstances.
It also calls on countries still using the death penalty to commute any existing sentences and to introduce a moratorium on capital punishment as a first step towards abolition.
Through the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe has created a death penalty-free zone covering 47 countries and over 820 million people.
No executions have taken place in any Council of Europe member state for over 20 years. More...

In an opinion adopted today, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the “Venice Commission”) assessed the extent to which Turkey’s Emergency Decree Laws – passed in the wake of the failed 2016 coup attempt – include measures that go beyond what is permitted by international standards and the Turkish constitution. More...

In its opinion on the draft law on anti-corruption courts in Ukraine adopted today, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the “Venice Commission”) said that many of the provisions of the draft law provide a good basis for the establishment of a high specialised anti-corruption court, but made several recommendations to reduce the risk that it could be considered unconstitutional. More...

“Sweden has played a leading role in providing assistance to persons in need of international protection; this should continue” said today Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of a five-day visit to Sweden. More...

The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) have published their first two evaluation reports: on Austria and Monaco. More...