Ben Ward
@bpward.bsky.social
!!!
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has floated the idea of withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Five Polish human rights law scholars explain why this would be a dangerous move – and why the Convention remains vital for Poland:
verfassungsblog.de/what-is-the-...
Five Polish human rights law scholars explain why this would be a dangerous move – and why the Convention remains vital for Poland:
verfassungsblog.de/what-is-the-...
November 11, 2025 at 12:42 PM
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Reposted by Ben Ward
In Hungary, Pastor Gábor Iványi, whose church supports people in poverty, faces absurd charges. The pastor and his church are human rights defenders providing shelter, food, education to people left behind by the state. The move is part of a wider crackdown on dissent.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
Hungary: Pastor Supporting People in Poverty Faces Charges
Instead of supporting those who fill the gaps left by Hungary’s crumbling public services and social security system, the government is prosecuting them. On November 3, prosecutors charged Pastor Gábo...
www.hrw.org
November 6, 2025 at 11:25 AM
In Hungary, Pastor Gábor Iványi, whose church supports people in poverty, faces absurd charges. The pastor and his church are human rights defenders providing shelter, food, education to people left behind by the state. The move is part of a wider crackdown on dissent.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
As we celebrate 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights, some politicians want to weaken the court that enforces its protections and water down the convention itself. We should resist these efforts which would undermine rights for everyone #ECHR75
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
When Politicians Undermine Europe’s Rights Court, We All Lose
The European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights are under attack again.
www.hrw.org
November 5, 2025 at 11:49 AM
As we celebrate 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights, some politicians want to weaken the court that enforces its protections and water down the convention itself. We should resist these efforts which would undermine rights for everyone #ECHR75
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
Reposted by Ben Ward
We @hrw.org are glad to be able to support this initiative led by @bigissue.com calling on the UK government to set child poverty reduction targets. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
October 31, 2025 at 8:29 AM
We @hrw.org are glad to be able to support this initiative led by @bigissue.com calling on the UK government to set child poverty reduction targets. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
"It’s a question of humanity": How a small Spanish town led by a conservative mayor voted unanimously to regularise undocumented migrant workers
A different way is possible...
H/T @picumofficial.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
A different way is possible...
H/T @picumofficial.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
‘It’s a question of humanity’: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance
Mayor explains why Villamalea unanimously backed call to regularise undocumented migrants – across party lines
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"It’s a question of humanity": How a small Spanish town led by a conservative mayor voted unanimously to regularise undocumented migrant workers
A different way is possible...
H/T @picumofficial.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
A different way is possible...
H/T @picumofficial.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
A draft law in Türkiye would pave the way for criminal charges against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in one of the most alarming rollbacks of rights in decades, @hrw.org says. The proposal should be immediately withdrawn www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Türkiye: Draft Law Threatens LGBT People with Prison
A government proposal would pave the way to bring criminal charges against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Türkiye, one of the most alarming rollbacks of rights in decades, Hu...
www.hrw.org
October 29, 2025 at 1:22 PM
A draft law in Türkiye would pave the way for criminal charges against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in one of the most alarming rollbacks of rights in decades, @hrw.org says. The proposal should be immediately withdrawn www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
This photo by Don McCullin of a protestor - taken in 1962 at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis - resonates strongly today...
October 29, 2025 at 1:14 PM
This photo by Don McCullin of a protestor - taken in 1962 at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis - resonates strongly today...
Reposted by Ben Ward
A win for Windrush campaigners:
Private pension losses will now be compensated under the #Windrush Compensation Scheme--important considering the age of claimants.
BUT without free legal representation, access to compensation is hampered.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... @hrw.org
Private pension losses will now be compensated under the #Windrush Compensation Scheme--important considering the age of claimants.
BUT without free legal representation, access to compensation is hampered.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... @hrw.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A win for Windrush campaigners:
Private pension losses will now be compensated under the #Windrush Compensation Scheme--important considering the age of claimants.
BUT without free legal representation, access to compensation is hampered.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... @hrw.org
Private pension losses will now be compensated under the #Windrush Compensation Scheme--important considering the age of claimants.
BUT without free legal representation, access to compensation is hampered.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10... @hrw.org
Reposted by Ben Ward
They are PEOPLE before anything else.
October 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
They are PEOPLE before anything else.
Reposted by Ben Ward
Returning colonial-era cultural belongings & ancestral remains is an international human rights & reparations issue. Communities' rights should be at the core. Yet Germany's new guidelines distance themselves from international law.
Returns aren't goodwill gestures.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Returns aren't goodwill gestures.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
New German Guidelines on Colonial Returns Fail Rights Test
Last week, German federal, state, and local authorities adopted Common Guidelines on the handling of cultural assets and human remains from colonial contexts. Despite the welcome efforts to regulate t...
www.hrw.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Returning colonial-era cultural belongings & ancestral remains is an international human rights & reparations issue. Communities' rights should be at the core. Yet Germany's new guidelines distance themselves from international law.
Returns aren't goodwill gestures.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Returns aren't goodwill gestures.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Ben Ward
EU Parliament lawmakers from four political groups wrote a letter to the Commission urging an end to funding for all Libyan security forces.
They condemn what they call the violent actions of the Libyan Coast Guard against humanitarian vessels in the Mediterranean.
➡️ https://l.euronews.com/kQ2V
They condemn what they call the violent actions of the Libyan Coast Guard against humanitarian vessels in the Mediterranean.
➡️ https://l.euronews.com/kQ2V
October 22, 2025 at 4:24 PM
EU Parliament lawmakers from four political groups wrote a letter to the Commission urging an end to funding for all Libyan security forces.
They condemn what they call the violent actions of the Libyan Coast Guard against humanitarian vessels in the Mediterranean.
➡️ https://l.euronews.com/kQ2V
They condemn what they call the violent actions of the Libyan Coast Guard against humanitarian vessels in the Mediterranean.
➡️ https://l.euronews.com/kQ2V
Reposted by Ben Ward
Glad to see this report by @deschuttero.bsky.social is out. The links between states scaling back programs that protect social rights, people’s disillusionment with the establishment, and the draw of the far right, are all too evident in many European countries. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Welfare cuts have fuelled rise of far right and populism, top UN expert says
Exclusive: Poverty rapporteur says governments must rethink welfare state as essential to fabric of society
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Glad to see this report by @deschuttero.bsky.social is out. The links between states scaling back programs that protect social rights, people’s disillusionment with the establishment, and the draw of the far right, are all too evident in many European countries. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Reposted by Ben Ward
Our #WithHumanity campaign calling on the EU to save lives of people seeking safety or a better life is a finalist at the
Anthem Awards!
🤝🙌
You can amplify the call with a vote for #WithHumanity for the Community Voice Award before Oct 30!
🗳️ https://wbby.co/HCAWNP
Anthem Awards!
🤝🙌
You can amplify the call with a vote for #WithHumanity for the Community Voice Award before Oct 30!
🗳️ https://wbby.co/HCAWNP
October 20, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Our #WithHumanity campaign calling on the EU to save lives of people seeking safety or a better life is a finalist at the
Anthem Awards!
🤝🙌
You can amplify the call with a vote for #WithHumanity for the Community Voice Award before Oct 30!
🗳️ https://wbby.co/HCAWNP
Anthem Awards!
🤝🙌
You can amplify the call with a vote for #WithHumanity for the Community Voice Award before Oct 30!
🗳️ https://wbby.co/HCAWNP
Reposted by Ben Ward
When govts convene this week in Paris to discuss feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French govt’s description of the event says progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Feminist Foreign Policy During a Global Backlash
When governments convene this week in Paris for a conference on feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about.
www.hrw.org
October 20, 2025 at 9:46 AM
When govts convene this week in Paris to discuss feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French govt’s description of the event says progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Ben Ward
The EU’s LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 reaffirms that equality and democracy are inseparable.
The EU and its member states should now back their words with concrete action—political, legal, and financial—both at home and abroad.
📄 @hrw.org : www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
The EU and its member states should now back their words with concrete action—political, legal, and financial—both at home and abroad.
📄 @hrw.org : www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
October 20, 2025 at 4:11 AM
The EU’s LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 reaffirms that equality and democracy are inseparable.
The EU and its member states should now back their words with concrete action—political, legal, and financial—both at home and abroad.
📄 @hrw.org : www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
The EU and its member states should now back their words with concrete action—political, legal, and financial—both at home and abroad.
📄 @hrw.org : www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child finds France responsible for grave and systematic violations of the rights of unaccompanied migrant children
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
France responsible for grave and systematic violations of rights of unaccompanied migrant children, UN committee finds
GENEVA - The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has found that France is responsible for grave and systematic violations of the rights of unaccompanied migrant children, stating that many a...
www.ohchr.org
October 16, 2025 at 1:25 PM
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child finds France responsible for grave and systematic violations of the rights of unaccompanied migrant children
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Reposted by Ben Ward
The next Article 7 hearing in respect of Hungary will be held on 21 October in the General Affairs Council.
9 Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny.
Our new paper: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...
9 Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny.
Our new paper: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...
October 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The next Article 7 hearing in respect of Hungary will be held on 21 October in the General Affairs Council.
9 Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny.
Our new paper: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...
9 Hungarian civil society organisations outlined key developments, priority concerns, and recommendations on 13 topics under scrutiny.
Our new paper: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...
Reposted by Ben Ward
Reposted by Ben Ward
So let me get this straight - the Home Secretary thinks the Council of Europe shouldn't stand up for people's rights in the UK now because that might affect its ability to do so in the future. Good grief.
October 15, 2025 at 9:51 AM
So let me get this straight - the Home Secretary thinks the Council of Europe shouldn't stand up for people's rights in the UK now because that might affect its ability to do so in the future. Good grief.
How can such a simple image be so beautiful?
October 13, 2025 at 10:37 PM
How can such a simple image be so beautiful?
Reposted by Ben Ward
The German government's plan for social security "reform" is bad news for #humanrights.
I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans:
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans:
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
October 9, 2025 at 4:38 PM
The German government's plan for social security "reform" is bad news for #humanrights.
I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans:
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans:
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
European Union member states meeting on October 21 to discuss Hungary’s erosion of the rule of law should vote on whether Hungary is at risk of a serious breach of EU treaty values, @hrw.org says
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
EU: Crucial Hearing on Hungary’s Rule of Law Crisis
European Union member states meeting on October 21, 2025 to discuss Hungary’s erosion of the rule of law should vote on whether Hungary is at risk of a serious breach of EU treaty values, Human Rights...
www.hrw.org
October 13, 2025 at 10:34 AM
European Union member states meeting on October 21 to discuss Hungary’s erosion of the rule of law should vote on whether Hungary is at risk of a serious breach of EU treaty values, @hrw.org says
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Ben Ward
I am reading reports that the German coalition has agreed the main parts of its welfare "reform" package. Details still emerging.
This shift toward a more punitive logic and harsher sanctions will come at the cost of human rights.
I explain more in this recent piece.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
This shift toward a more punitive logic and harsher sanctions will come at the cost of human rights.
I explain more in this recent piece.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
Rights Should Guide Welfare ‘Reform’ Debate in Germany
The partners in Germany’s governing Christian Democrat-Social Democrat coalition have been sparring over the contents of a planned replacement of the Citizen’s Income social security benefit, with a “...
www.hrw.org
October 9, 2025 at 10:03 AM
I am reading reports that the German coalition has agreed the main parts of its welfare "reform" package. Details still emerging.
This shift toward a more punitive logic and harsher sanctions will come at the cost of human rights.
I explain more in this recent piece.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
This shift toward a more punitive logic and harsher sanctions will come at the cost of human rights.
I explain more in this recent piece.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...