Today the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic published a letter addressed to the Minister of Interior of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in which she highlights a number of human rights concerns related to the policing of demonstrations that had taken place in many Russian cities over the last few weeks.

The Commissioner stresses that the Russian authorities failed to uphold their obligation to ensure freedom of assembly and that restrictions applied on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic did not respond to public health considerations in a manner compatible with the principles of absolute necessity and proportionality established by international human rights standards.

The Commissioner also expressed concerns about the arbitrary arrests of a high number of individuals all across the country during the demonstrations, and enquired about the Ministry of Interior’s policy, methods and guidelines concerning the dispersal of peaceful assemblies and the deprivation of peaceful demonstrators’ liberty. She requested clarifications as to the reasons for the arrests of journalists and media workers reporting on those rallies, as these constitute serious restrictions of freedom of expression and media freedom as guaranteed in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Commissioner is particularly dismayed to receive numerous reports of excessive use of force and violence against peaceful protesters by servicemen exercising public authority during those demonstrations and she requested information on any action taken by the authorities to ensure accountability of law enforcement officers for any cases of arbitrary use of force or any other human rights violations committed against demonstrators during rallies or afterwards.

The Commissioner also notes that many individuals apprehended during the protests have allegedly been ill-treated while in custody. She also refers to reports about dozens of demonstrators who were allegedly kept in police vans in appalling conditions over a prolonged period of time due to the inability of the relevant authorities to provide them with due facilities. She considers that such a situation, if confirmed, amounts to inhuman and degrading treatment and that all necessary and urgent steps should be taken to stop this practice immediately. She urges the Minister to ensure that the rights of those in detention are fully respected as a matter of urgency and she calls on him to use his authority to ensure that law enforcement authorities immediately stop the practice of apprehending individuals who exercise their right to peaceful assembly and, more generally to bring policing of demonstrations in line with applicable human rights standards as a matter of priority.

• Read the Commissioner's letter addressed to the Minister of Interior of the Russian Federation (available in Russian)

Link: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-02/cp210015en.pdf

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Court of Justice of the European Union

PRESS RELEASE No 15/21

Luxembourg, 11 February 2021

Judgment in Joined Cases C-407/19, Katoen Natie Bulk Terminals NV and General Services Antwerp NV v Belgische Staat and C-471/19, Middlegate Europe NV v Ministerraad

Legislation which reserves dock work to recognised workers may be compatible with EU law if it is aimed at ensuring safety in port areas and preventing workplace accidents.

However, the intervention of a joint administrative committee in the recognition of dockers is neither necessary nor appropriate for attaining the objective pursued

Under Belgian law, dock work is governed inter alia by the Law organising dock work, according to which dock work may be carried out only by recognised dockers. In 2014, the European Commission had sent Belgium a letter of formal notice, in which it informed it that its dock work legislation infringed the freedom of establishment (Article 49 TFEU). Following that letter, in 2016, that Member State had adopted a royal decree relating to the recognition of dockers in port areas, establishing the arrangements for the implementation of the Law organising dock work, which had led the Commission to close the infringement procedure against it.

(...)

Link: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-02/cp210015fr.pdf

Languages available: bg es cs da de et el en fr hr it lv lt hu mt nl pl pt ro sk sl fi sv

Cour de justice de l’Union européenne

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE n° 15/21

Luxembourg, le 11 février 2021

Arrêt dans les affaires jointes C-407/19 Katoen Natie Bulk Terminals NV et General Services Antwerp NV/Belgische Staat et C-471/19 Middlegate Europe NV/Ministerraad

Une loi qui réserve le travail portuaire à des ouvriers reconnus comme tels peut être compatible avec le droit de l’Union si elle vise à garantir la sécurité dans les zones portuaires et la prévention des accidents du travail

Toutefois, l’intervention d’une commission administrative paritaire dans la reconnaissance des ouvriers portuaires n’est ni nécessaire ni appropriée pour atteindre l’objectif visé

En droit belge, le travail portuaire est notamment régi par la loi organisant le travail portuaire, selon laquelle le travail portuaire ne peut être effectué que par des ouvriers portuaires reconnus. En 2014, la Commission européenne avait adressé une lettre de mise en demeure à la Belgique, dans laquelle elle lui indiquait que sa réglementation relative au travail portuaire enfreignait la liberté d’établissement (article 49 TFUE). À la suite de cette lettre, en 2016, cet État membre avait adopté un arrêté royal relatif à la reconnaissance des ouvriers portuaires dans les zones portuaires, établissant les modalités de mise en œuvre de la loi organisant le travail portuaire, ce qui avait conduit la Commission à clore la procédure d’infraction à son égard. (...)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is reminding councils of their duties to parents when asking them to leave the family home during safeguarding investigations, following an investigation into a complaint about Newcastle City Council.

A man complained to the Ombudsman that, following an allegation he had been harming his children, social workers told him to leave the family home, but did not make it clear to him this was voluntary.

The council did not review the agreement while the accusations were investigated and instead left the man with the distress and uncertainty of not knowing for how long he would be away from his family.

The allegations about the man’s behaviour were withdrawn and the man returned home. The council referred the family to a family support worker but after just seven visits, that support was stopped without warning.

When the man complained, it took the council around seven months longer to complete its investigation than the timeframes in the children’s services statutory complaints procedure. During the Stage Three hearing, the investigating officer offended the man by suggesting he may have misunderstood advice given to him, when he was asked to leave the family home, because his first language is not English.

The man was particularly upset because it was not true, it had not been raised previously, and the panel investigating his complaint was comprised only of white members, following an investigation conducted by a white investigating officer. The officer’s comment led to the man losing trust in the objectivity of the council’s complaints process, and believing that his ethnicity was a contributing factor in the investigating officer agreeing with the council.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“Councils have a duty to safeguard children when allegations are made that they are at risk of harm, but they cannot insist on a parent leaving the family home without first gaining their voluntary consent.

“In this case, the events that unfolded left the man feeling distressed and insulted. He says his relationship with his family has been irreparably damaged, so I welcome the council already recognising it had work to do to improve its services before the complaint came to me, and had already gone some way to remedying the situation for the man.

“I hope the further recommendations I have made will ensure this situation cannot happen again to other families in the city.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and share learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the man and pay him a £1,150 in recognition of the time, trouble, uncertainty and distress his family have been caused.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to amend its Safety Plan template to ensure signatories understand the agreement is voluntary and to explain any consequences of not following the agreement.

It has also agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of providing parents with all the information they need to make informed decisions and keeping a record of any agreements. 

It will also produce a strategy to ensure it meets the timescales for statutory children’s complaints and provide guidance and training to relevant staff on unconscious bias and the importance of inclusive and diverse public services.

Article date: 11 February 2021

Lettera aperta sui cinque anni di attività e sulle motivazioni della rinuncia. Il ringraziamento ai tanti, soggetti privati e pubblici, che hanno consentito la realizzazione dei vari progetti concretizzati nel corso del tempo. Evidenziato anche il ruolo svolto come Presidente del Coordinamento nazionale dei Difensori civici

Lettera aperta del Garante regionale dei Diritti, Andrea Nobili, attraverso la quale saluta e ringrazia chi in questi anni ha supportato l’attività della stessa Autorità di garanzia e annuncia il ritiro della sua candidatura per il prossimo mandato, sul quale nei prossimi giorni sarà chiamato a decidere il Consiglio regionale nell’ambito di un ampio pacchetto di nomine.

“Dopo oltre cinque anni di intenso lavoro – scrive Nobili – è giunto a termine il mio compito di Garante dei diritti della persona, un’istituzione regionale che spero di aver contribuito a rafforzare, avvicinandola maggiormente ai cittadini. Ho cercato di esercitare il ruolo rispettando i criteri di autonomia e indipendenza, avendo come punto di riferimento i principi contenuti nella nostra Costituzione e nelle leggi che tutelano i diritti delle persone”.

Ed aggiunge in merito al ritiro della candidatura: “Mi ero dichiarato disponibile a continuare il mio impegno, anche a seguito degli inviti ricevuti dai settori più vari, dal mondo dell’avvocatura, dalle realtà del contesto penitenziario, da ordini professionali e operatori del sociale. Tuttavia, non vedo più le condizioni per proseguire, essendo la formazione e la sensibilità culturale del sottoscritto ritenute, a ragione, non in linea con gli orientamenti della maggioranza che oggi governa la Regione. Formazione e sensibilità culturale che, comunque, non hanno mai prevaricato la funzione super partes che spetta al Garante. Ritiro la mia candidatura con l’auspicio che la stessa maggioranza e, per quanto gli compete, anche l’attuale

opposizione, sappiano individuare una figura indiscutibilmente non di parte, esperta e competente, con un profilo autorevole, in grado di interloquire nel migliore dei modi con i cittadini e con le istituzioni”.

Infine, il richiamo a chi, in questi anni, ha fornito il proprio contributo al lavoro dell’Autorità di garanzia. “Ringrazio sinceramente – conclude Nobili – i tanti con cui ho collaborato nel portare avanti i compiti che mi ero assunto, senza il loro supporto sarebbe stato tutto più difficile. Soggetti privati e pubblici che hanno consentito la realizzazione dei vari progetti messi a terra in questi anni. Saluto anche il Coordinamento nazionale dei Difensori civici, che ho avuto l’onore di presiedere e che, sono certo, saprà valorizzare sempre più il tema della trasparenza amministrativa. Torno a tempo pieno alla professione di avvocato, arricchito da un’esperienza unica, durante la quale ho cercato di coniugare sensibilità sociale e tutela dei diritti, soprattutto delle persone in difficoltà, come bambini e adolescenti fragili, detenuti e persone discriminate. Continuerò a impegnarmi, nell’ambito del diritto minorile e di famiglia, nel settore penale e penitenziario, portando con me quel bagaglio di umanità che l’esperienza di Garante mi ha lasciato. Perché ho ben presente quello che diceva uno straordinario giurista, tra i padri della nostra Costituzione, Piero Calamandrei, per il quale il segreto della Giustizia sta in una sempre maggior umanità”.

A.Is