La Institución pide que se refuercen el personal y los medios de las direcciones provinciales de Vivienda para evitar retrasos prolongados que afectan a la calidad de vida de las personas

La justicia de Aragón, Concepción Gimeno, ha emitido una sugerencia dirigida al Departamento de Fomento, Vivienda, Logística y Cohesión Territorial para que valore agilizar la tramitación de las solicitudes de ayuda en materia de rehabilitación residencial para la mejora de la accesibilidad, y con este fin, dote a las Direcciones Provinciales de Vivienda de Zaragoza, Huesca y Teruel, de medios materiales y personales de personal, acordes al volumen de trabajo que ocasiona la tramitación de este tipo de ayuda.

La actuación se produce tras la queja de una persona por los retrasos en el cobro de las ayudas en materia de rehabilitación residencial para la mejora de la accesibilidad, enmarcadas en el Plan de Vivienda 22-25 del Gobierno de Aragón. Según el interesado, la solicitud fue presentada en diciembre de 2023 y, trascurridos 2 años y 4 meses, no había sido abonada.

En la respuesta remitida al Justicia de Aragón, el Departamento de Vivienda indica que las solicitudes se instruyen y valoran por orden cronológico de presentación. Sin embargo, la justicia de Aragón recuerda que según la orden por la que se convocan las subvenciones para la rehabilitación de accesibilidad en edificios y viviendas, correspondientes al Plan 2022-2025, se dispondrá de un plazo máximo de tres meses para resolver la convocatoria, computado desde la fecha de finalización del plazo de presentación de solicitudes.

Por ello, la Institución sugiere al Departamento de Vivienda que adopte cuantas medidas resulten necesarias para la adecuada agilización de los procedimientos de tramitación de este tipo de ayudas, y que se cumplan los plazos, evitando así demoras que puedan desvirtuar la finalidad para la cual fueron establecidas, que no es otra que garantizar la accesibilidad.

It is with utmost concern and strong resistance that I have received reports of mass-scale threats, a wave of hatred and the need to provide police protection to the Office of Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) of the Slovak Republic Róbert Dobrovodský. 

The essence of the functioning of an independent legal protection body of Ombudsman in a democratic state governed by the rule of law lies in its autonomy and courage in holding the authorities to account, and in unwavering protection of the rights and freedoms of all citizens, including those from religious, national or ethnic minorities. 

The actions of the Ombudsman of Slovakia, consisting in submitting the provisions that restrict the freedom of religion or the freedom of association to constitutional review, are a form of straightforward exercise of his fundamental powers. The attempts to intimidate the Ombudsman through aggression, hate speech or criminal threats must be considered a direct attack on the foundations of the democratic state and the institutions safeguarding human rights. 

I express my full solidarity with Róbert Dobrovodský and all members of staff of the Office of the Slovak Ombudsman. I call on the Slovak authorities to take immediate and decisive measures to ensure the security of the office and to hold to account those who have made threats against the Ombudsman. 

The independence of the Ombudsman institutions in Europe is one of the main achievements of our civilisation and political systems. It serves the protection of human dignity and should therefore be a value that is universally respected and inviolable. 

Marcin Wiącek 

Commissioner for Human Rights 

RPO Marcin Wiącek, fot. Grzegorz Krzyżewski/BRPO

Mon, 25/05/2026 - 12:00

Since March, we have published 31 decisions of full investigations.

52% of our recently published investigations show evidence of poor complaints handling. These issues can have fundamental, negative impacts on complainants’ lives and wellbeing.

In one case published this month (202401974), a family made life changing decisions based on uncertainties around a potentially terminal cancer diagnosis. They then had to go through a lengthy complaints process, adding unnecessary strain at a deeply distressing time, despite clear opportunities to identify failings much earlier.

These cases demonstrate both the severity and breadth of the issues we handle, with findings ranging from misdiagnosis and delays in healthcare to the administrative handling of benefit payments.

In another case (202401604), we found failings in how Midlothian Council managed the end of an adoptive placement due to irreconcilable behavioural difficulties and a breakdown in the relationship. The findings included weaknesses in the accuracy of assessment reports, information sharing between authorities, and the involvement of the adoptive parent in ongoing care planning.

Our recommendations focused on improving decision making and governance, including ensuring that reports are balanced, evidence-based, and fully reflect all relevant information, and that clear processes are in place for case transfer, independent oversight, and post-placement review.
 

This case highlights the role our work plays in improving how services make and record decisions affecting vulnerable children, helping to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and better outcomes in future.

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Following his visit to Serbia from 18-21 May 2026, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, issued the following end-of-visit statement, which should be considered in conjunction with his previous interventions:

The Commissioner’s visit to Serbia focused on issues pertaining to the right to freedom of expression, including media freedom, and to peaceful assembly, as well as the protection of civic space. He expresses his appreciation to his interlocutors and to those Serbian government officials in Strasbourg and Belgrade who facilitated his visit. The Commissioner considers that the situation has deteriorated since his previous visit in April 2025.

Freedom of expression and media freedom

The Commissioner heard consistent reports of an increase in violence, intimidation and harassment against journalists and civil society actors who express criticism of government policies. Against the backdrop of government-dominance of the media sector and the lack of a functioning media regulator, the rapidly shrinking space for dissent undermines political debate and enjoyment of the right of access to diverse sources of information. This is especially problematic in the current pre-electoral context.

The Commissioner is concerned about the physical attacks on and threats to the safety of journalists and their families, and the lack of response by the police. According to the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists in Serbia, composed of journalists’ associations, the prosecution service, and the police, only five of some 200 evidenced attacks against journalists recorded during 2024 and 2025 resulted in final court judgments. The media environment is also compromised by a high number of SLAPPs (abusive litigation) targeting reporters, especially those covering the student protests and ongoing corruption investigations. He further observes a distorted media market in which state media funding and advertising are predominantly channelled to pro-government media.

Freedom of peaceful assembly

The Commissioner notes with concern the authorities’ violent response to public gatherings and student-led demonstrations related to the tragedy in Novi Sad in November 2024. There are multiple reports of excessive force on the part of the police, as well as arrests of peaceful protestors and degrading treatment in custody.

There are also reports of police protecting unidentified and often masked attackers of journalists and protesters. It is a matter of concern that substantiated complaints of unacceptable police behaviour appear not to have been investigated or prosecuted. Furthermore, the Commissioner remains concerned that, despite the submission of testimonies of over 3000 citizens, no official investigation has been launched into the alleged sonic weapon attack of 15 March 2025.

The Commissioner considers that the current climate of impunity for police malpractice has eroded social trust in law enforcement and other public authorities.

Protection of civic space

The Commissioner was struck by a convergent assessment by many interlocutors that the overall situation of civic space in Serbia has degraded sharply since his last visit. Civil society organisations, particularly those working on human rights, anti-corruption, and election monitoring, are routinely portrayed as “traitors” or “foreign agents” in pro-government media, as well as by some high officials. The Commissioner is concerned by the high levels of hate speech targeting civil society and how this can trigger physical violence. He further notes with concern how public demonstrations of respect for the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy reportedly may trigger dismissal from public employment, intimidation and harassment.

General observations

The decline in the integrity of human rights-related state institutions must be arrested and reversed. The Commissioner considers it important that the recommendations of the Venice Commission on the so-called Mrdić laws be fully and consistently implemented, notably with respect to the safeguarding of prosecutorial autonomy. He also notes the importance of independent human rights institutions for the protection of human rights and regretfully concurs with his many interlocutors who consider that, regarding the subject areas of the visit, the Protector of Citizens (the Ombudsman) is not fulfilling his mandate.

More broadly, the Commissioner is concerned about the polarisation within Serbia where human rights-related civil society and government cooperation mechanisms no longer appear to function. He calls on the authorities to foster a favourable environment for free debate and public participation.

The Commissioner notes that large demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday, 23 May. He calls on the authorities to regulate and police these in full compliance with their human rights obligations. He will monitor the situation closely.

During his visit, the Commissioner met with the Prosecutor General Zagorka Dolovac, the Protector of Citizens Zoran Pašalić, and the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević. He also held meetings with a broad range of representatives from civil society, the media and the academic community. The authorities cancelled the scheduled meetings with the Minister of Justice, the Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, and the Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, in which regard the Commissioner re-affirms his commitment to dialogue.