For dozens of civilians who waited at the railway station in Kramatorsk this morning, hoping to evacuate from areas at risk of attacks by the Russian forces, the journey to safety ended in a bloodbath as the station’s grounds were struck by ballistic missiles. Hundreds more were reportedly wounded by the attack, and many are now desperately fighting for their lives in local hospitals.

This latest strike on a densely populated urban area of Ukraine is yet another demonstration of the blatant disregard for civilian life, which has by now sadly become a steady feature of this military aggression. My thoughts are with all the victims of this abhorrent act – women, men, children, and older persons – whose lives were brutally cut short as they were trying to reach safety.

Those responsible for serious violations of human rights, such as the attack in Kramatorsk, must be held accountable. Such attacks may also constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law. All those who wish to leave areas affected by or at risk of hostilities must be able to do so safely.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Mr Anthony C. Mifsud, presented the Case Notes 2021 to the President of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Anglu Farrugia.

The periodic publication of Case Notes highlights complaints by aggrieved individuals seeking redress from the Office of the Ombudsman for injustices suffered as a result of the conduct of the public administration or of a systemic failure that was unfair or unjustly discriminatory.  It brings to the attention of the general public the nature of the complaints that fall within the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman and the specialised Commissioners within his Office; provides an inkling on how these complaints are investigated, the procedures followed as laid down by laws and regulations, to establish the facts, the way final opinions are crafted, what recommendations could be expected when a complaint is sustained and its possible outcome.

In the Case Notes’ foreword the Ombudman stated that he firmly believes that the mission statement of the institution extends to a commitment to its proactive role as the public conscience of the public administration that needs to be constantly alerted to its obligations not only to do what is legally right but also that which is intrinsically correct and just.

The Ombudsman concluded that the Office of the Ombudsman “should be strengthened not only through legislative provisions that further secure its autonomy and independence but also and perhaps more importantly, by a change in mentality that it is not an extension of the public administration but a valid instrument at the disposal of Parliament to hold the Executive accountable for its actions at all times. This is my heartfelt hope for the future.”

As in previous years, this bi-lingual publication includes three separate sections reporting complaints investigated by our specialised commissioners in the areas of Health, Education and Environment and Planning.

Download Case Notes 2021 from here

En la Valedoría do Pobo presentó el acto a valedora del pueblo, Dolores Fernández Galiño.  La Fundación Secretariado Gitano (  FSG) dio a conocer, un año más, su Informe Anual “Discriminación y Comunidad Gitana”, con el fin de dar visibilidad a los casos de discriminación y las vulneraciones del derecho a la igualdad de trato que siguen sufriendo las personas gitanas en nuestro país.

Irene Jiménez Cortiñas, Técnica de Igualdad de la  FSG en Lugo y  Zaida Jiménez Jiménez, Técnica de Igualdad de la FSG en Vigo, fueron las encargadas de dar cuenta del documento: Las  “Discriminación y Comunidad Gitana: Informe Anual 2021”.

Para finalizar, la lectura del Manifiesto con motivo del Día Internacional del Pueblo Gitano y entrega bandera gitana corrió  a cargo de Sonia Suárez Suárez, voluntaria de la  FSG en Ourense, Javier León Gabarri,  estudiante de Derecho y Miriam Fernández  Ferreduela, trabajadora de la  FSG en Santiago de Compostela.

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, se ha reunido este viernes con el Síndic de Greuges, Rafael Ribó, en Barcelona, para tratar asuntos que conciernen a ambas instituciones.

Desde su llegada a la Institución, el pasado 18 de noviembre, el Defensor ha mantenido encuentros con los defensores autonómicos y ha mostrado su intención de impulsar la colaboración con todos ellos.

Ángel Gabilondo considera que se debe proseguir en la línea de cooperación entre el Defensor del Pueblo y los defensores autonómicos, a fin de trabajar coordinadamente en favor de las libertades públicas y los derechos ciudadanos.