La Oficina de Información y Atención Ciudadana (OIAC) del Defensor del Pueblo andaluz se desplaza a la comarca del Valle de Los Pedroches, en concreto, el martes 7 de octubre a Pozoblanco y el miércoles 8 de octubre a Hinojosa del Duque, para atender presencialmente a la ciudadanía.

El objetivo de esta visita presencial es acercar los servicios de la Institución con el fin de garantizar los derechos de la ciudadanía frente a la actuación de las administraciones públicas en vivienda, salud, educación, servicios sociales, medio ambiente, justicia o transporte público, así como en cuestiones relacionadas con los servicios de interés general, caso de reclamaciones de telefonía, entidades financieras y suministros de luz y agua.

En este desplazamiento a la comarca cordobesa la Oficina de Información del Defensor del Pueblo andaluz atenderá a los vecinos y vecinas de Alcaracejos, Añora, Belalcázar, Cardeña, Conquista, Dos Torres, El Guijo, El Viso, Fuente La Lancha, Hinojosa del Duque, Pedroche, Pozoblanco, Santa Eufemia, Torrecampo, Villanueva del Duque, Villaralto y Villanueva de Córdoba, para conocer en detalle la situación de la zona, sus principales proyectos, objetivos y aspiraciones.

La atención se ofrece el martes 7 de octubre en Pozoblanco, en el centro Impulsa 10, situado en calle Dr. Vicente Pérez número 1, en horario de 10:00 a 14:00 horas y de 16:30 a 19:30 horas., y el miércoles 8 en Hinojosa del Duque, en el Edificio de Usos Multiples, ubicado en la calle Miguel Hernández sin número, en horario de 9:30 a 14:00 horas y de 17:00 a 19:00 horas. Con el fin de prestar el mejor servicio a las personas o colectivos que se dirigen personalmente a la Oficina, se recomienda cita previa llamando al teléfono 954 21 21 21 o enviando un correo electrónico a citapreviadpa@defensor-and.es. También se puede concertar la cita a través de nuestras principales redes sociales: facebook o X.

Además de la atención a la ciudadanía, la Oficina de Información mantendrá reuniones con las asociaciones más representativas de carácter social y con los Servicios Sociales Comunitarios de la comarca.

The Ombudsman expresses deep concern regarding the incident in Vinica, where a candidate for councilor in the upcoming 2025 Local elections was assaulted by another candidate, endangering his life.

Such violent acts are grave violations of human rights—the right to life, bodily integrity, and security—and directly undermine the right to free and fair elections. Election campaigns must embody tolerance and democratic competition, not fear and intimidation.

The Ombudsman condemns the violence and demands an immediate and thorough investigation, as well as sanctioning the perpetrators. At the same time, he appeals to political actors to commit to a peaceful and dignified election campaign.

The Ombudsman reminds us that democracy is built only by respecting human dignity, fostering dialogue, and unequivocally rejecting violence.

Citizens who face violations of their voting rights, intimidation, threats, or other pressures can contact the Ombudsman institution at the toll-free telephone line 0800-54321, open during the entire election process.

The Public Defender of Georgia has repeatedly explained that peaceful assembly is protected by international and national standards. It is inadmissible to call for the overthrow of the constitutional order of Georgia or its violent replacement during the organization and holding of an assembly or demonstration, therefore, it is important that the participants in the assembly do not go beyond the limits protected by law when expressing their protest. In addition, a special responsibility lies with the organizers of the rally, who are obliged to conduct the assembly peacefully and not to call on the participants to engage in unlawful violent actions; and, in the event of the use of force, the police must act in compliance with the strict test of necessity and proportionality.

In addition, in light of the protests ongoing in various locations in Tbilisi, it is important to ensure that participants in peaceful gatherings are not restricted from exercising their constitutionally protected rights and that police force is not used against them.

At the same time, media representatives must be able to carry out their activities without hindrance. The Public Defender reminds everyone that criminal liability is provided for unlawfully obstructing a journalist in his professional activities.

Am 2. und 3. Oktober 2025 lud die Volksanwaltschaft zum jährlichen D-A-CH-Treffen nach Wien in die Volksanwaltschaft ein. Seit 2014 treffen sich die Nationalen Präventionsmechanismen zur Verhütung von Folter aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum. Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus Deutschland, Österreich, der Schweiz (kurz D-A-CH) und Luxemburg tauschten sich zu aktuellen Best-Practice-Beispielen und Herausforderungen in der Folterprävention aus.

Dieses Jahr lag der Schwerpunkt auf der psychiatrischen Versorgung von Personen in Haft. Die Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus allen Ländern berichteten gleichermaßen über einen Mangel an Fachpersonal sowie Überbelag. Das führt dazu, dass Personen mit erhöhtem Betreuungsbedarf für längere Zeiten in Einzelhaft abgesondert werden. Dadurch verschlimmert sich häufig der psychische Zustand der Betroffenen. 

Die Volksanwaltschaft stellte zu diesem Thema ihren aktuellen Prüfschwerpunkt „Besonderer Betreuungsbedarf von Personen mit psychischen Auffälligkeiten außerhalb des Maßnahmenvollzugs“ für Justizanstalten vor. Außerdem gab es einen ausführlichen Vortrag der Volksanwaltschaft über die Methodik der Erarbeitung von bundesweiten Prüfschwerpunkten. 

Das Treffen wurde mit einem Follow-Up-Vortrag beendet: Beim D-A-CH Treffen des vergangenen Jahres in Berlin wurde unter anderen über die menschenrechtliche Überwachung während Fußballspielen berichtet. Ein Vertreter der Volksanwaltschaft gab anschließend zu diesem Thema einen Vortrag über die Vorgehensweise der Volksanwaltschaft. 

Die Diskussionen sowie der intensive Austausch zwischen den Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern verliefen lebhaft und erwiesen sich als wertvoll für die fachliche Arbeit. Das nächste D-A-CH Treffen findet 2026 voraussichtlich in der Schweiz statt.  

The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, met Ms Leanne Smith, Chief Executive of the Australian Human Rights Commission, at the Office of the Ombudsman in Valletta.

During the meeting, the Ombudsman gave an overview of the institution’s functions and explained the Office’s ongoing efforts to advocate for Malta to establish a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). He outlined the process through which the Office of the Ombudsman drafted and submitted a new Ombudsman Bill to Government in November 2024. The proposed legislation would widen the institution’s current remit to include the promotion and protection of human rights in line with the Paris Principles.

Judge Zammit McKeon also spoke about the upcoming international conference being organised by the Office of the Ombudsman in October 2025 to commemorate its 30th anniversary. One of the key panels at the conference, “Protecting the Vulnerable – The Role of the Ombudsman in Upholding Human Rights,” will feature several prominent speakers from the international Ombudsman and human rights community.

Ms Smith provided an overview of the work of the Australian Human Rights Commission, which serves as the country’s NHRI. She explained that the Commission investigates and conciliates human rights and discrimination complaints, advises government and parliament on human rights law and policy, raises awareness through national education and outreach campaigns, and conducts research and inquiries into systemic issues. The Commission also works with courts as amicus curiae in discrimination cases, provides guidance to employers on diversity and inclusion, and delivers international training programmes across the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, the Commission monitors Australia’s compliance with its international human rights obligations and reports independently to the United Nations.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to cooperation and exchange between institutions. The Ombudsman remarked that “the observance of human rights comes from a caring society—if we stop caring, then there is a real risk.”