SAR operations by NGOs: new report inverts the relation of causality and clarifies role of NGOs

During the last months the NGOs that conduct the Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean have been at the centre of a political and media storm.The report by Forensic Oceanography assesses that a toxic rhetoric has been created where the only victims are the NGOs, and most importantly no concrete evidence has been found in this “criminalization campaign”.The report goes beyond, and addresses not only the accusation of collusion in smuggling per se, but rather it challenges the assumptions reinforcing this accusation.

News Highlights: Infringement proceeding for relocation, new report on Eritrea, Sudan starts trial against human rights activist

In this week’s news highlights, the European Commission triggers procedures for sanctions against Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary on relocation quotas; a new report was published on human trafficking in the Horn of Africa; UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea releases a new report and holds an interactive dialogue in the 35th session of the Human Rights Council; and South Sudanese president Kiir refused to attend a regional summit on South Sudanese security issues.

UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea holds interactive dialogue in Human Rights Council

Geneva – at the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea held an interactive dialogue on the most recent report about the human rights situation in Eritrea. The Special Rapporteur, Sheila Keetharuth, confirmed that human rights abuses constituting crimes against humanity continue to be committed and that the Eritrean regime shows no signs of cooperation or improvement. Eritrea will still not allow access or cooperate in any way with the Special Rapporteur.