Europe

The Ukrainian government should condemn homophobic speech and attacks on a peaceful protest in Kiev on December 8, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The rally by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and human rights groups commemorated Human Rights…

The European Union should urge President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming EU-Russia summit meeting to end the crackdown on Russia’s civil society, Human Rights Watch said today. The 30th summit meeting since two sides started meeting regularly will be on…

By Tomas Magnusson, co-president of the International Peace Bureau Leaders of the European Union (EU) will gather in Oslo to receive an increasingly controversial Nobel Peace Prize. Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and industrialist, established the five prizes by his…

Russia’s parliament should reject a proposed bill that would violate Russians’ freedom of expression and discriminate against and stigmatize Russia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. On December 19, 2012, the Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, is scheduled…

By Francesca Dziadek With a persistent undercurrent of discrimination against foreigners, ‘Gastarbeiter’ (guest workers) and citizens of colour, despite the fact that 20 percent of its population – roughly 16 million residents – are from an immigrant background, Germany is faced with the…

– UK Uncut successfully targets Starbucks over tax avoidance and impact of government cuts on women – Over 40 protests across the UK take place at Starbucks shops today, in UK Uncut’s biggest day of action – Protesters stage sit-ins…

Poland’s announcement on December 5, 2012, that it is about to ratify the international treaty prohibiting landmines means that all 27 European Union countries have banned these unlawful weapons, Human Rights Watch said today. During the 12th annual meeting of…

Since protests began in Spain, Athenians started to demonstrate in Syntagma Square (25th of May 2011), together with demonstrations in more than 30 cities across the country. We spent more than a month with a consistently large crowd gathered daily at the bottom of the square, where open assemblies practicing direct democracy were organized. The open meetings continued…

Free Speech is a right unless you are a whistleblower like Julian Assange revealing uncomfortable truths. The rising power of the Media, “The Fourth Estate”, has seen a class of politicians increasingly trying to get on the good side of the…

By Julio Godoy Between late 2009 and mid-2010, the German government, represented by its foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, made a case for dismantling B61 atomic bombs on German soil. The actual number of such weapons of mass destruction is a…