The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Dmytro Lubinets has published a Special Report on the situation in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.

The report is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Arabic.

Queja número 25/4939

Recibimos un escrito en el que la interesada nos exponía que la definición de unidad económica de convivencia regulada por el Ayuntamiento de su localidad en la provincia de Málaga no permite incluir en su familia al menor que tiene en acogimiento familiar permanente y por ello su hijo discapacitado no puede acceder a la convocatoria de ayudas para personas con diversidad funcional convocadas por el ayuntamiento.

Tras admitir la queja a trámite expusimos el caso al Ayuntamiento y solicitamos que nos fuera remitido un informe al respecto. En respuesta a nuestro requerimiento el Ayuntamiento viene a reconocer los indeseados efectos que dicha regulación viene causando a su familia y hace patente la voluntad del gobierno municipal de modificar dicha normativa para equiparar, a efectos de cómputo de miembros de la unidad familiar, a los hijos con otros menores en acogimiento familiar.

Valoramos que el problema planteado en la queja se encuentra en vías de solución por lo que damos por concluidas nuestras actuaciones.

Support for human rights systems and defenders Civil society

When 01 July 2025

Where Online, Austria

FRA event

FRA will present and discuss the key findings of its annual Fundamental Rights Report 2025 during an online event on 1 July that addresses the organisations participating in its Fundamental Rights Platform as well as the Ombuds institutions, Equality Bodies and National Human Rights Institutions.

The presentation will be followed by an exchange of views with participants. 

The report provides a snapshot of the state of play of fundamental rights in the EU and highlights selected critical developments and trends in 2024. It also includes dedicated chapters on inclusive elections, gender-based violence, and the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

The report is complemented with FRA Opinions on how the EU and Member States should follow up in these fundamental rights issues. 

The Commissioner for Education within the Office of the Ombudsman, Chief Justice Emeritus Vincent De Gaetano, was invited by Pepperdine University’s Benjamin Caruso School of Law to deliver a short presentation during the 2025 Religious Freedom Conference held at the Château d’Hauteville in Vevey, Switzerland, between the 11^th and 13^th June. The international event brought together legal scholars, jurists, practitioners, and human rights advocates to discuss contemporary issues and challenges surrounding religious freedom mainly in the United States and in Europe.

Chief Justice De Gaetano participated in the Friday morning plenary session titled "Antisemitism and Higher Education: Concerns and Challenges." In his presentation, he reflected on his initial surprise at the invitation, believing that antisemitism was largely under control in Europe due to strong legal protections like the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, he acknowledged more recent reports by the Council of Europe highlighting rising antisemitic narratives -- particularly in connection with conspiracy theories, the war in Ukraine, and wider geopolitical tensions.

Drawing on a number of legal and philosophical sources, including Deuteronomy, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and St Augustine, the Commissioner referred to the role of education, especially at the compulsory level, in cultivating a proper understanding of human dignity. He questioned whether antisemitism and other forms of hate speech in higher education warrant special legislative responses or whether such issues are better addressed through a robust, principled application of general human rights law.

The Commissioner cautioned against hasty administrative or legislative measures that may erode the rule of law, noting that such responses can often exacerbate the problem rather than mitigate it. He concluded by emphasising the foundational importance of justice, human dignity, and the responsible use of democratic tools to combat discrimination in all its forms.

The full text of the Commissioner’s presentation can be downloaded below.

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha presidido este lunes en la sede de la institución la reunión del Consejo Asesor del Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura y otros Tratos o Penas Crueles, Inhumanos o Degradantes (MNP).

A lo largo del encuentro el director del MNP, Miguel Paneque, ha presentado el informe de actividad correspondiente a 2024. Paneque ha repasado las cuestiones más relevantes desarrolladas los últimos meses y ha avanzado el programa de trabajo para el año en curso.  

En la reunión han participado los miembros del Consejo Asesor del MNP: Vicenta Esteve, psicóloga clínica; Maite Parejo, abogada; Luis Andrés Cucarella, catedrático de Derecho Procesal en la Universidad de Valencia; Mª Estefanía del Toro, psicóloga social; Ester Pascual, abogada, y Luis F. Nieto, abogado.

Han asistido también a la reunión la adjunta primera del Defensor del Pueblo, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril; la adjunta segunda, Patricia Bárcena; el secretario general del Defensor del Pueblo, José Manuel Sánchez Saudinós, que actúa como secretario del Consejo, y la asesora del Gabinete del Defensor del Pueblo, Blanca Cheli.