The Secretary General said Öcalan’s announcement, timed to coincide with Kurdish new year celebrations, is a “positive signal which I hope will lead to an end to violence and lasting peace.”
According to research, the number of prisoners held in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine is double the Council of Europe average of 149 prisoners per 100 000 inhabitants. Prison over-crowding is also worrying in Serbia, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and France.
Eva Smith Asmussen, chair of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, urges governments to “assume their responsibilities” and tackle the increasingly popular parties which rally against migrants, Muslims and other minorities.
Victor Ponta said Romania will ask the court to postpone by 3-4 weeks its 12 April deadline for implementation of its judgment on the Romanian law on property restitution (Maria Atanasiu and Others v. Romania)to allow for more consultations in Strasbourg.
Robert Rustem, Executive Secretary of the European Roma and Travellers Forum welcomes the establishment of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion and states: “It is at the local level that anti-Roma prejudice takes much of its virulent form and shape.”
