By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany — This past Tuesday, Germany’s highest court unanimously rejected a proposal to ban the far-right neo-Nazi political party.  In 2013, 16 German states submitted a petition to ban the party, citing an alleged racist and anti-Semitic agenda as reasons to support the ban.  The petition also claimed that the group’s views violate Germany’s constitution.

As reason for rejecting the proposal, the court ruled that the party does not pose a serious-enough threat to Germany’s democratic system.  In its verdict, the Federal Constitutional Court explained that they rejected the motion to ban the group as groundless because of a “lack of concrete evidence to make it seem likely that [the party’s] actions will lead to success…”  Per Germany’s constitution, a political party can only be banned if they pose an actual threat to democracy.  Andreas Vosskuhle, president of the presiding court, further explained that in the court’s eyes, a party which “has aims that run contrary to the Constitution is not sufficient grounds for banning a party.”

In September, voters ejected the National Democratic Party (NPD) from the legislature in the last German state in which it held seats.  The party is currently only represented on a local level, which Vosskuhle cites as a reason as to why the party does not have the means to carry out its actions.  “In more than five decades that it has existed, the [NDP] has not been able to achieve lasting representation in a state legislature,” Vosskuhle explained.  He does not see any “indications that this will change in the future.”

The court’s verdict has sparked great outcry.  Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, labeled the ruling as “disappointing” and believes that the ruling “allows the NPD to pursue its destructive, anti-democratic activities and to spread more anti-Semitic and racist hatred.”  The Central Council of Jews in Germany called the verdict “a lost opportunity to take action against an inhumane party.”  Christoph Heubner, Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee, called the move a “reality-blind and untimely decision” which is going to send a disastrous signal to the rest of Europe.

The court’s verdict marks the second failed attempt of the German government to ban the NPD, as a similar bid was rejected in 2003.

 

For more information, please see:

Fox News — German Court Decides Against Ban of Neo-Nazi Party — 17 January 2017

New York Times — German Court Rejects Effort to Ban Neo-Nazi Party — 17 January 2017

The Times of Israel — German Court Criticized for not Banning Neo-Nazi-Linked Party — 17 January 2017

USA Today — Germany’s Top Court Rejects Bid to Ban Neo-Nazi Party — 17 January 2017

 

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia — The Duma recently passed a bill which would decriminalize some forms of domestic violence.  The bill, also known as the “slapping law,” would eliminate criminal punishments for first offenses, or attacks that occur only once a year in which a woman or child is not “seriously” injured, and does not require hospital treatment or sick leave from work.

Under the bill, the punishment for domestic violence offenders would be limited to a fine or community service, while subsequent offenses can still be considered criminal.  The bill passed its first reading at the Duma with a nearly-unanimous 368 out of 370 votes in its favor.

Supporters of the bill claim that current domestic violence penalties are “anti-family” and are a “baseless intervention into family affairs.”  The bill was proposed by conservative MP Yelena Mizulina, who is the head of the Duma Committee on Family, Women, and Children’s Affairs.  Mizulina believes that offenders should not be jailed and deemed a criminal “for a slap” or a “scratch.”  According to Mizulina, “battery carried out towards family members should be an administrative offense.”

Those in favor of the bill cite tradition of parental authority as its source.  Mizulina and her fellow supporters believe that because traditional Russian family values are built on the parents’ authority, laws should reflect those values and traditions.

Women’s rights group claim that the bill will leave domestic abuse victims even more vulnerable than they already are.  Olga Yurkova, executive director of Syostri – a recovery center for sexual assault victims – explained to reporters that the proposed “decriminilisation will worsen the situation” of women tolerating domestic violence but not bringing it to public light.

Women’s rights activist Alena Popova has started a petition which demands the Duma pass a completely new law dealing with domestic violence, which has received over 174,000 signatures.  Journalist Olga Bobrova argued that while domestic violence might not leave a physical mark on the victim’s body, such actions still transform “her life into a living hell.”  Bobrova also explained that “domestic violence is a normal way of life” in Russia.

Activists recently handed out stories of abuse victims outside of the Duma to spread word of the cause.

 

For more information, please see:

The Huffington Post — Russia Moves to Decriminalize Several Cases of Domestic Violence — 14 January 2017

CNN — Russia Prepares to Decriminalize Some Domestic Violence — 13 January 2017

BBC — Russia: Anger at Move to Soften Domestic Violence Law — 12 January 2017

Mic — Russia’s Proposal to Decriminalize Domestic Violence Earns a Sweeping Parliamentary Victory — 12 January 2017

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

LONDON, England — The British Red Cross has issued a warning to the British National Health Service (NHS) of overcrowding in United Kingdom hospital emergency rooms, calling the situation a “humanitarian crisis.”  The warning comes after two patients passed away after long waits on trolleys in the hallways of a Worcester hospital.  One of the patients passed away after suffering cardiac arrest in a hallway after waiting 35 hours for a hospital bed.

In response to the issue, the group has dispatched volunteers across the UK to transport patients from the hospital to their homes in order to free up hospital beds.  The crisis is also affecting ambulatory services, and the Red Cross has provided support to staff in Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln, Kettering and Northampton.  Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, stated that people are “sent home without clothes, some suffer falls and are not found for days, while others are not washed because there is no carer there to help them.”

Dr. Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, told reporters that “people dying after long spells in hospital corridors shows that the NHS is now broken.”  Holland emphasized that the efforts of staff to prop up the system are no longer enough to keep the system afloat.”  The system is being strained due to the demand for a world-class service that is only provided third-world levels of staffing and beds.

Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth admonished the British government for not acting to prevent this situation, calling the need for Red Cross assistance “staggering.”  Ashworth noted that “[f]or the Red Cross to brand the situation a ‘humanitarian crisis’ should be a badge of shame for Government ministers.”

The Red Cross is urging the government to spend more money on social care for the sick and elderly populations.  According to the Red Cross, cuts to social care funding has resulted in the inability of some patients to be discharged because there is no medical support available for them outside of the hospitals.

In September, the membership organization for the NHS warned that the healthy system was on the verge of collapse unless immediate funding was provided.

Hospitals across the UK have issued public please for people to stay away from Accident and Emergency wards (A&E) unless they have a “genuine emergency.”

 

For more information, please see:

Newsweek — Red Cross: Britain’s Health Faces ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ — 7 January 2017

Press TV — NHS Faces ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ at Hospitals, British Red Cross Warns — 7 January 2017

The Republic — Red Cross Calls UK Hospital Crowding a “Humanitarian Crisis” — 7 January 2017

Times of Malta — Britain’s Health Service in ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ – Red Cross — 7 January 2017

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

MADRID, Spain — In a televised New Year’s speech, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont promised that the region of Catalan will hold a “legal and binding” independence referendum vote by September 2017.  Puigdemont emphasized that “Catalans will freely decide” their own future.”  Catalonian government officials maintain that they will hold the referendum with or without consent from the Spanish central government, however they would prefer the vote to be consensual.

 

Puigdemont’s announcement was ratified via a resolution voted on by the majority-separatist regional parliament of Catalan.  The Spanish Constitutional Court, however, has since suspended the resolution pending a five-month time period in which it will decide whether to ban the vote for good.  Puigdemont assured listeners that the referendum would be made “in accordance with the mandate of [Spanish] laws,” however it remains unclear how this will be accomplished if court bans the referendum.

In his own press conference, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy ruled out the possibility of a Catalonian referendum.  Rajoy recently commented that “[i]t is not possible to hold a referendum that will do away with national sovereignty and the equality of Spaniards.”  Instead, Rajoy maintains his platform of keeping an open line of communication between Catalan and the rest of Spain – a measure which he believes is much more “reasonable” than the alternative referendum.

After both Puigdemont’s and Rajoy’s speeches, Catalan separatists participated in a peaceful rally on Friday in Palma to show their support for the independence referendum.  Protestors carried different versions of the Catalan flag, with mottos such as “The Catalan Countries” and “One village, one fight, one future” written on them.

The Spanish government has offered to compromise and negotiate a list of economic and social demands with Puigdemont, however it refuses to discuss the proposed referendum.  Catalan held a symbolic independence vote in 2014 after the Spanish government legally prevented a formal vote from occurring.  The symbolic vote went unrecognized by Spain.  Many senior ranking political officials participated in the symbolic vote, and have since faced sanctions for participating in separatist measures which were deemed illegal by Spain’s central government.

Despite this announcement by Puigdemont, a recent poll showed that support for Catalan’s secession from Spain has decreased over the past six months amongst Catalonians.  The number of Catalans who oppose secession stood at 46.8% in December, which is an increase from the 45.1% in November, and the 42.4% in June.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — Catalonia Leader Vows 2017 Referendum on Spain Independence — 31 December 2016

DW — Catalan Chief Pledges ‘Binding’ Independence Referendum in 2017 — 31 December 2016

The Local ES — Catalan President Pledges Referendum in New Year Address — 31 December 2016

PressTV — 100s Rally in Support of Catalonia’s Secession from Spain — 31 December 2016

Reuters — Catalan Independence Referendum ‘Not Possible’ – Spanish PM — 30 December 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

KIEV, Ukraine — Nadia Savchenko, former military aviator and current Ukrainian lawmaker, has launched a new opposition movement following a split with her former political party.  The new movement is called RUNA, which is an acronym for Ukrainian People’s Revolution.   Savchenko claims that RUNA will be a “mechanism” she describes as a “naturalist association of people” who stray from “populist slogans.”  She does not consider the new platform to be a “political project” just yet, however expects it to be formed into such when the time is right.

RUNA’s Facebook page display’s the movement’s logo, which is four red and black leaves.  It also sets forth the movement’s goals of active thinking and the revolution of Ukrainians to fulfill the aims of the EuroMaidan Revolution.  The announcement of the press conference officially launching RUNA was made online, and was entitled “Conception of systemic change in Ukraine as a unitary and decentralized republic.”

After being sentenced to 22 years in prison on charges of alleged complicity in the murder of two Russian journalists, Savchenko was pardoned by Vladimir Putin in May and was released in a swap for two Russians held in Kiev.  The release of the prisoners came after Savchenko had a private meeting with the heads of separatist regions in Ukraine.

Savchenko denied the charges against her, and took part in two hunger strikes as a result.  Upon her release from prison, Savchenko was hailed as a hero upon her return to Ukraine, however has since faced criticism from nationalists.

In October, Savchenko quit the Batkivschyna political party headed by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and was formally expelled from it earlier this month.  Batkivschyna was critical of Savchenko’s meeting with Russian-backed separatist leaders from eastern Ukraine to discuss a prisoner swap.  This month she was also formally expelled from Ukraine’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as well as the Parliamentary Committee for National Defense and Security.

Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of ex-Soviet Georgia, has also recently created an opposition movement with intentions of overturning Poroshenko.

 

For more information, please see:

The Daily Star — Hero Pilot Savchenko Launches Ukraine Opposition Movement — 28 December 2016

The Guardian — Ukraine Insurgents Release Two Women Thanks to Savchenko — 27 December 2016

Kyiv Post — Savchenko to Launch New Political Project in Lviv — 27 December 2016

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty — Ukraine’s Savchenko Unveils New Public Movement — 27 December 2016