En diciembre de 2024, se publicó el libro Euskadi ante Estrasburgo: Un balance de la actividad de control del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos relativo al País Vasco, como resultado de una iniciativa conjunta del Ararteko y la Cátedra Unesco de Derechos Humanos y Poderes Públicos de la UPV/EHU. 

La iniciativa tomó un primer impulso en 2023, con la celebración de un seminario académico para conmemorar el 75 aniversario de la aprobación de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, organizado por el Ararteko y la Cátedra Unesco de Derechos Humanos y Poderes Públicos de la UPV/EHU. El objetivo del seminario era impulsar una reflexión sobre la cultura de los derechos humanos en Euskadi, y se decidió, para ello, centrar la mirada en la figura del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, como mecanismo judicial de los derechos humanos de referencia especial en nuestro territorio. 

Así el seminario, titulado “Los derechos humanos en Euskadi: Un balance de la actividad de control del TEDH en relación con Euskadi”, contó con las intervenciones de figuras de renombre en el ámbito internacional y académico, como la magistrada del TEDH, María Elosegui Itxaso; el relator especial de Naciones Unidas sobre la promoción de la verdad, la justicia, la reparación y las garantías de no repetición, Fabián Salvioli; y los catedráticos Joana Abrisketa, Xabier Arzoz y Alejandro Saiz; además de la catedrática Ana Salinas de Frías, quien, si bien no pudo presentar su ponencia oralmente, sí lo hizo por escrito.  

La publicación Euskadi ante Estrasburgo recoge el contenido del referido seminario académico, de tal suerte que se articula en capítulos específicos para las diferentes aportaciones de cada ponente. El libro se inicia con una presentación del ararteko, que incide en el potencial de colaboración entre el TEDH y las instituciones de defensa de los derechos humanos, como la propia institución del Ararteko. Los capítulos siguientes pretenden hacer un balance y análisis de los pronunciamientos más significativos del TEDH en relación con Euskadi. Entre los temas abordados destacan la libertad de expresión, la prohibición de la tortura, el derecho de asociación, el proceso justo y el principio de legalidad. 

The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, participated in the meeting of the European Regional Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). The gathering took place in Nicosia, Cyprus, at the invitation of the Cypriot Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Maria Stylianou Lottides, and was presided over by Mr Reinier Van Zutphen, Ombudsman of the Netherlands and President of the IOI European Region.

During the meeting, board members reviewed recent activities and discussed current developments in the European region. They examined the work of various IOI working groups and representation within these committees. The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Zammit McKeon, will represent IOI Europe—alongside the President of the Board, Mr Van Zutphen—in both the Code of Ethics Working Group and the By-Laws Committee. The board members also discussed matters related to the functioning of the IOI’s European chapter, as well as upcoming activities and events.

The Board also discussed the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 17 December 2024, which reaffirms the critical role of Ombudsman institutions in promoting the rule of law, good governance, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It was noted that, with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights, in countries where the Ombudsman also functions as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), this dual role has proven highly effective, as both mandates complement each other.

European Regional Board Membership

The European Regional Board is composed of Mr Reinier Van Zutphen (Regional President, Ombudsman of the Netherlands), Mr Marc Bertrand (Ombudsman of Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation), Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon (Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta), Mr Marino Fardelli (Presidente del Coordinamento Nazionale dei Difensori Civici delle Regioni), Mr Peter Svetina (Ombudsman of Slovenia), , Mr Dymtro Lubinets (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights), and Ms Maria Stylianou Lottides (Human Rights Commissioner of Cyprus).

About the IOI

Established in 1978, the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) is the only global organisation dedicated to the cooperation of more than 200 independent Ombudsman institutions from over 100 countries worldwide. Organised into six regional chapters—Africa, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean & Latin America, and North America—the IOI supports its members through training, research, and regional subsidies for projects. Its overarching aim is to promote good governance and strengthen the capacity of Ombudsman institutions around the world.

Am 21.01.2025 konnte die derzeitige Vorsitzende der Volksanwaltschaft Elisabeth Schwetz den slowakischen Ombudsmann („Public Defendor of the Rights“, PDOR) Robert Dobrovodský mit einer Delegation im Haus begrüßen. Begleitet wurde Dobrovodský von Mitarbeitern im Bereich der Grundrechte und des NPM. Anlass für den Antrittsbesuch war der Austausch in den Themenbereichen Polizei und Menschenrechte. PDOR will dem slowakischen Parlament einen Bericht, der auch Best-Practice-Beispiele aus anderen europäischen Ländern enthalten soll, vorlegen.

Volksanwältin Schwetz, zu deren Prüfgebieten auch die Polizei zählt, erläuterte mit ihren Experten Ombudsmann Dobrovodský die Zuständigkeiten der Volksanwaltschaft sowie den Ablauf des Prüfverfahrens einer OPCAT-Kommission. Eine Erkenntnis war, dass in Österreich potentielle Fälle von Polizeimissbrauch auf zwei mögliche Arten – im Rahmen eines Kommissionsbesuchs oder auch eines Verfahrens der nachprüfenden Kontrolle aufgrund einer konkreten Beschwerde oder amtswegig – untersucht werden können.

Ebenso wurde über die Organisation der OPCAT-Kommissionen der Volksanwaltschaft sowie die Verankerung der Ausbildung auf dem Gebiet der Grund- und Menschenrechte in der Polizei-Grundausbildung, das Spannungsfeld zwischen polizeilicher Befehls- und Zwangsgewalt und den Schutz der Grundrechte oder die entsprechende Empfehlungsliste der Volksanwaltschaft gesprochen.

Ruling by the ECtHR on an incident of police brutality

In its recent ruling, Panagiotopoulos and Others v. Greece  (https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/?i=001-240187) of 21.01.2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) makes extensive reference to the (two) reports of the Ombudsman in the context of an investigation under the special competence of the National Mechanism for the Investigation of Arbitrary Incidents in the Police Force.

After reviewing the disciplinary case file, the Independent Authority referred the findings of the conducted internal inquiry to the Police for completion, due to administrative irregularities during the investigation with emphasis on the apparent lack of independence of the criminal trial from the disciplinary procedure and the lack of a forensic examination. The Hellenic Police, however, after completing the administrative investigation, closed the case, fully adopting the acquittal of the police officers involved in the criminal proceedings, without exercising its discretion to rule differently, basing its judgment on the different conditions set by the disciplinary law, as, among other things, the Authority points out in its conclusion.

In its decision, the ECtHR found a violation of the procedural aspects of article 3 of the ECHR (failure of the authorities to effectively investigate a case of inhuman and degrading treatment) for all three applicants, a violation of the substantive aspect of Article 3 for two of the applicants (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment) and a violation of Article 3 taken in conjunction with Article 14 (failure of the authorities to effectively investigate any racist motive in a case of inhuman and degrading treatment) for all applicants in the case of three Roma citizens in an incident of persecution, summoning, arrest and detention in a police station.

The unyielding protection and strengthening of independent mechanisms for the control of the actions of the administration, with the aim of safeguarding the fundamental rights of citizens and achieving social peace, find their legal and political basis in the basic principles of a modern European and democratic state governed by the rule of law. This is precisely the condition attested by the continuous recognition of the work of the Independent Authority of the Greek Ombudsman by the ECtHR.