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December 2013
Assisting Rather than Deporting Trafficking Victims in Spain (IPS, link)
Greece's ultra-right party stages protest: Golden Dawn supporters protest outside parliament against pre-trial detention of their leader, Nikolaos Mihaloliakos.(Al Jazeera, link)
November 2013
British law lord warns against 'state control of the legal system' (Independent.ie, link)
French police evict 800 Roma people from camp in Paris (euronews, link)
European hotels edge toward universal reporting of guests to police (Privacy Surgeon, link)
Poland to Suspend Schengen During Warsaw Climate Change Conference (Krakow Post, link)
Hooliganism” and the abuse of INTERPOL’s systems (Fair Trials International, link)
NETHERLANDS: Dutch carriers abused data retention law for marketing purposes - While the law was widely violated, the companies were not punished (ARN, link) and Government report (in Dutch, link)
Police clash with French protesters (Independent ie, link)
October 2013
UK: Drone campaigners vow to pursue transparency despite losing Information Tribunal (Drone Wars UK, link)
INTERPOL reinstates alert against Russian refugee (Fairs Trials International, link)
Council of Europe: ECRI urges Europe’s governments to address trends in racism and intolerance - see European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) annual report (link)
NETHERLANDS: The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture examines treatment of foreign nationals during a removal operation by air from the Netherlands (CoE link)
UK: Campsfield House immigration removal centre: Fire breaks out (BBC News, link): "The Campsfield House immigration removal centre in Kidlington near Oxford has been damaged by fire, the Home Office has said. Two detainees have been taken to hospital as a result of the blaze." and see: After the fire: Home Office crack down on Campsfield witness (Corporate Watch, link): "Corporate Watch received a call at 12.35 today from Stephanie Combes, fiancée of a Campsfield detainee Emidio Rios who we interviewed last night. Stephanie told us that Emidio had been assaulted by guards at Campsfield House when they found out that he was in contact with the media."
FRANCE: Migration Debate: Deportation Scandal Grips France (Spiegel Online, link): "Controversy surrounding the deportation of a 15-year-old Roma girl and her family continues to undermine the government of French President François Hollande. The scandal is the latest flare-up in the country's deeply divisive immigration debate. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls on Sunday defended his decision to deport a 15-year-old Roma girl and her family to Kosovo after they lost their bid for asylum. The deportation has prompted calls for the minister's resignation by students and leftist groups."
GREECE: Greek isle of Lesbos shows community spirit to migrants (France 24, link)
Norway’s anti-immigration Popular Party has 7 ministers in new government (euronews, link)
Hungarian proposals may exacerbate pre-trial detention (Fair Trials International. link)
Turkey building wall on Syrian border to stem illegal migration (Haaretz, link)
SPAIN: Franco-fascism on the march in Spain: Is the government doing enough? Critics say Spain's fascist threat comes not from small groups like those set to march in Barcelona Saturday, but from the radical fringe that is part of Spain's governing Popular Party. (Christian Science Monitor, link)
UK: Exclusive: Watchdog takes police to court over airport ‘harassment’ - Met delays over investigating detention of innocent Muslims left IPCC ‘with no option but to take matter to High Court' (Independent, link)
After Gamma revelations, Switzerland begins to debate export of surveillance tech (PI, link)
EU: Greeting asylum-seekers with drones (euobserver, link)
UK: Secrets of the UK's new FBI: Police chief reveals elite force of 5,000 'super' agents will wage a high-tech manhunt for Britain's most wanted criminals (Daily Mail, link)
Canada, Netherlands negotiating trusted traveller agreement, documents reveal (CTV News, link)
UK: Secrets of the UK's new FBI: Police chief reveals elite force of 5,000 'super' agents will wage a high-tech manhunt for Britain's most wanted criminals (Daily Mail, link)
Italy must not pardon former CIA agent involved in rendition (AI press statement): " Robert Seldon Lady has evaded justice for a decade, and letting him off the hook now would send a very dangerous message that there is no accountability for crimes that led to enforced disappearance and torture. " Julia Hall, Amnesty International's expert on counter-terrorism and human rights
September 2013
New SGR report uncovers aggressive focus of UK military research and development (Press release, link)
UK: Court of Appeal upholds conviction in terror house seizure case (BBC News, link): "The Court of Appeal decision paves the way for the first ever seizure of a family home as a terrorist asset. No other member of his family has been convicted in relation to his offences; his relatives say they will fight the attempt to take their home."
UK: London Riots: Only 1 Arrest Made as Result of Facial Recognition (IFSECGlobal, link)
Statewatch News Digest 20 September 2013 (68 items)
Migrant dies as hundreds try to sail to Spain (expatica, link)
UK: Tube cleaners refuse fingerprint clock-in, union says (BBC News)
UK: More than 56,000 detained under counter-terrorism powers in year (The Guardian, link)
ROMANIA: One week of protests: what’s going on in Romania? (ROARMAG.org, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 13 September 2013 (70 items)
EU: Commission urged to protect consumers against 'IP tracking' (euractiv, link)
August 2013
Hungary: Murder convictions are 'wake-up call' over hate crimes against Roma (AI, link)
CIA-IRAN: CIA admits role in 1953 Iranian coup - Declassified documents describe in detail how US – with British help – engineered coup against Mohammad Mosaddeq (Guardian, link)
GREECE: Immigrants clash with police in Greece (euractiv, link)
HUNGARY: Neo-Nazis jailed over Roma killings in Hungary - Murder of six Roma led to accusations that police had failed to protect a historically persecuted minority (Guardian, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 1 August 2013 (65 items)
July 2013
Nicky Hager Appearance before the European Parliament ECHELON Committee (Cryptome, link)
Harvard creates brain-to-brain interface, allows humans to control other animals with thoughts alone (Extreme Tec, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 24 July 2013 (94 items)
ITALY: Justice Over G8 Killing Delayed and Denied (IPS, link)
TAFTA, the US-EU's Trojan Trade Agreement: Talks (and Leaks) Begin (link)
Somali communities targeted by UK 'counter-terror' measures: the need for solidarity (CAMPCC, link)
UK breached rights of IRA men's families over delays: European Court (Belfast Telegraph, link)
UK: Anti-fascist protester claims police broke her leg at rally (Independent, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 10 July 2013 (79 items)
EU Data Retention Directive finally before European Court of Justice (Internet Policy Review, link)
The ACTA Archive (EDRI, link)
UK: Home Office Tells Immigrants 'No Place To Hide' In Controversial Tweet (Huffington Post, link)
IRELAND Immigrant Council claims five racist incidents happen every week in Ireland (link)
June 2013
Immigration: 100 Sub-Saharans force their way into Melilla (ANSA, link)
EU citizens' data must be protected against US surveillance (Hnet security.org, link)
The EU must offer whistleblower protection to likes of Snowden (Public Service Europe, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 21 June 2013 (93 items)
USA: Open letter to President Obama on hunger strikers in Guantanamo (LANCET, link) and Guantanamo hunger strikers make a plea to their doctors
EU-USA: A transatlantic corporate bill of rights: Investor privileges in EU-US trade deal threaten public interest and democracy (Corporate Observatory Europe, link)
USA: DATA Surveillance: Newly Revealed PRISM Snooping Makes Verizon Surveillance Look Like Kids' Stuff (The Slate, link) and House Votes To Renew Warrantless Wiretapping Bill, but No One Knows How Many Americans Are Spied On (The Slate) and What Is PRISM? (Gizmodo, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 12 June 2013 (71 items)
Syrians accuse Greece of 'pushing back' migrant boats (BBC News, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 6 June 2013 (113 items)
Spanish police might use trojans to spy computers (New Europe, link)
Garda chiefs draw up list of hardline G8 protesters (Independent.ie, link)
US State Department Country Reports on Terrorism (link)
UK rhetoric on EU immigration plays into hands of far right (Public Service Europe, link)
May 2013
Internet companies warn May over 'snooper's charter' (Guardian, link)
Greece: Strengthen Response to Racist Violence (Human Rights Watch, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 29 May 2013 (62 items)
Private security for Greece's immigrant detention centres (EnetEnglish, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 24 May 2013 (115 items)
MEPs vote to exclude culture from trade talks with US (European Voice, link)
Police swoop on the homeless taking sleeping bags and food parcels in co-ordinated raids in Redbridge (Ilford Voice, link)
Sean Rigg's death must be the catalyst for a reform in policing (Observer, link)
Fears of U.S. Mass Surveillance Spur Data Protection Proposals in Europe (Slate, link)
Police spies' use of dead children's identities was common, MPs told (Guardian, link)
Greece: Emergency action to thwart teachers’ strike unnecessary (Amnesty International, link)
Thousands demonstrate against freedom of information act (Copenhagen post, link)
Justice Department seizes journalists' call records (ifex, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 15 May 2013 (97 items)
Big data: a big opportunity or just big brother? (Guardian, link)
Europe must combat racist extremism and uphold human rights (Human Rights Comment, link)
Greeks banned from striking under emergency law (EurActiv, link)
G8: NI prison block 'set aside' in case of trouble (BBC, link)
Queen's Speech: End of Asbos as police forced to act on yobs (Telegraph, link)
EU to extend welfare rights, despite UK warning (euobserver, link)
Danish phone company kept call records for more than 10 years (EDRi, link)
New claims of racism against Met police (channel4, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 7 May 2013 (66 items)
Xenophobic murder trial begins in Germany (euractiv, link)
Terrorism and “Intelligence-led policing”: the German Constitutional Court draws its “red lines” (EAFSJ, link)
Europe's prisons at breaking point due to overcrowding (public service europe, link)
EU court needs more judges, say UK Lords (public service europe, link)
Hungary Restricts FOI Law; OGP Membership Questioned (freedominfo, link)
Golden Dawn MP 'swung at mayor of Athens but hit 12-year-old girl instead' (Guardian, link)
Heart of the matter: who owns your health data? (euobserver, link)
April 2013
Statewatch News Digest: 30 April 2013 (71 items)
Council of Europe turns up the heat on Hungary (Euractiv, link)
Migrants storm Spain border from Morocco: government (Expatica, link)
Commission doubtful over 'benefits tourism' claims (Euractiv, link)
Racially motivated attacks on the rise in Greece, human rights groups say (Guardian, link)
Massive personal data breach by police to G4S (Cambridge News, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 23 April 2013 (72 items)
German President Joachim Gauck: 'Never economise on human rights' (Council of Europe, link)
3 Greeks Held in Shooting of 28 Migrant Workers (New York Times, link)
'Like 1930s Germany': Greek Far Right Gains Ground (spiegel online, link)
The anti-terrorist exercise will be the biggest at EU level (neweurope online, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 16 April 2013 (67 items)
Europe's forced returnees claim abuse (IRIN, link)
Ban on London Met University enrolling foreign students lifted (Guardian, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 9 April 2013 (49 items)
Norway: Coalition condemns asylum seeker policy (theForeigner, link)
Police accused of coverup in immigrant attack (EnetEnglish, link)
March 2013
Rights groups criticize EU immigration policy (DW, link)
Cyprus bailout: a punishment not a solution (euobserver, link)
No Account Of Immigrant Kids In Greece (Greek Reporter, link)
EU asylum applications on the rise (euobserver, link)
Half of major UK websites breach EU data protection law and create ‘spam’, says study (link)
UK: Petition: Forced to flee: Fozia and Nawaz (NCADC, link) "Fozia and Nawaz are a married couple in grave danger of so-called ‘honour killing’ if returned to Pakistan. They face extreme violence from Fozia’s family and community persecution because they have crossed the faith divide. Yet UKBA is intent on deporting them."
DENMARK: Opinion | The fight for democracy (Copenhagen Post, link)
SWEDEN-MIGRANTS: Billström's apology 'not enough': Löfven (The Local, link)
Council of Europe: Some countries 'slipping back' to discrimination against LGBT people, says PACE rapporteur (link)
EU: EEAS: Germany calls for more powerful EU diplomatic service (euobserver, link)
UK: EDF drops lawsuit against environmental activists after backlash - Energy company accused of undermining peaceful protest with civil action against campaigners who occupied power plant (Guardian, link)
UK: Communications Capabilities Development Programme (Open Rights Group, link)
Permissible ID checks in EU Member States – I need your help (Jon Worth blog, link)
EU: Time for a European Spring (Corporate Observatory Europe, link): "People across Europe come together in Brussels and other European capitals this week to reject EU austerity policies and their erosion of democracy. The police have hampered efforts in Brussels by banning the organised march and denying people the right to free assembly."
UK: "This government is behaving like some third rate dictatorship" (Legal Voice, link)
Academics line up to defend EU data protection law (euobserver, link)
UK: Philippe Sands quits Lib Dems in protest at support for secret courts - Prominent lawyer says bill 'will be used to shield governmental wrongdoing from public and judicial scrutiny' (Guardian, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 11 March 2013 (32 items)
UK: CCTV Harnessed For Police National Database Use (Police Oracle, link): "Forces should be able to use high-resolution CCTV images to search the Police National Database's (PND) custody photos by the end of the year, according to a senior officer. It is expected that the PND will go live with a facial search capacity in May, which will allow officers to compare pictures with those of other forces across the country. However the photo must have ears, eyes and nose clearly visible."
Composite Decision-Making and Accountability Networks: Some Deductions from a Saga by Carol Harlow (Jean Monet papers, link): "Using asset-freezing as a paradigm of multi-level or composite decision-making, it explores the effectiveness of traditional accountability machinery in dealing with this phenomenon, concluding that cooperative ‘accountability networks’ or networks of entities specialising in accountability such as courts, parliaments and ombudsmen, should be developed to fill the serious accountability gaps that have emerged."
EU ministers must not water down data protection legislation (Green.EFA, link)
UK: A dangerous use of police force to quell protest - The Alfie Meadows ruling is a reminder of the coalition's hypocrisy on non-violent protest (Guardian, link)
EU: Visegrad countries to form joint military force (euractiv, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 7 March 2013 (47 items)
Statewatch News Digest: 5 March 2013 (61 items)
Minister: Germany would veto Bulgaria, Romania in Schengen (DW, link)
Greek police ‘Photoshop away’ signs of brutality from mugshots (AI, link) and Prosecutor probing claims police abused bank robbery, terrorism suspects (Ekathimerini, link)
GERMANY: Anti-terror laws face increased scrutiny (DW, link)
UK: 43,000 strip-searches carried out on children as young as 12 - Campaigner criticises 'institutionalised child abuse' after FOI request reveals huge number of searches in custody (Guardian, link)
EU: Calls for better access to documents gain support in parliament (link)
February 2013
UK: British terror suspects quietly stripped of citizenship… then killed by drones (Independent, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 28 February 2013 (65 items)
Statewatch News Digest: 25 February 2013 (33 items)
“The Charity of the Security Industry”, on Christian Ehler MEP’s dual role as rapporteur on Horizon 2020 and board member of GESA (German Security Association): (Taz.de, link)
BT Lobbyists Try To Water Down EU Privacy Legislation (TechWeek Europe, link)
UK: Met police launch inquiry into construction worker blacklisting - Move reverses earlier decision not investigate claims of Met police involvement in compiling 3,200-name blacklist (Guardian, link)
UK-EU: Emerging Europe opportunities in the Security sector (UK Dept of Trade and Investment, link): "the security measures and technologies may induce concerns regarding the integrity of the private life"
Statewatch News Digest: 21 February 2013 (42 items)
Czech Republic: Stronger efforts needed to end segregation of Roma (CoE, link)
German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich is pushing for an EU-wide immigration registry.(DW, link)
Secret State: The Justice and Security Bill: Placing the State above the Law (Ceasefire, link)
Industry Committee scrapes together a majority for a disastrous data protection opinion (EDRI, link)
Greece asylum: Journey through a broken system (BBC News, link: Paul Mason report)
EU: Merger of EU police agencies draws opposition (euobserver, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 18 February 2013 (28 items)
IRELAND: Absence of migrant family law criticised (Irish Times, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 15 February 2013 (62 items)
Italy Jails Ex-Officials for Rendition (New York Times, link)
UK: Warwick's foreign staff may now see London without telling 'Big Brother' (THE, link)
I.Coast immigrant sets himself alight in Rome airport (Globalpost, link)
UK: Whistleblowers and press 'threatened by proposed new police powers - 'Investigative journalism at risk from government plan to weaken protection for writers and their sources, warn campaigners (Guardian, link)
EU bailouts: misery for old people, children, single mothers (euobserver, link)
MALTA: Migrant's death in van - Officer said he may have died 'of fright' (Times of Malta, link)
Judges reject UK demand for new hearing on prisoners’ human rights case (Human Rights Europe, link): "Judges have turned down a United Kingdom request for a new Grand Chamber hearing on a case involving the human rights of prisoners. On 12 February, the European Court of Human Rights announced it had rejected the UK authorities’ request for the case James, Wells and Lee v. the United Kingdom (nos. 25119/09, 57715/09 and 57877/09) to be referred to its Grand Chamber."
Sri Lankans expelled from UK allege torture after deportation to Colombo - Freedom from Torture finds 15 failed asylum seekers later won refugee status but Tory minister says torture claims are unproven (Guardian, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 12 February 2013 (30 items)
EU Treaties on Eur-Lex (link)
Statewatch News Digest: 7 February 2013 (40 items)
Poland declines to answer court's questions on CIA jail (Reuters, link)
New report: Denmark participated in CIA rendition programme (Copenhagen Post, link)
EU: Some thoughts on COMdocs (link): Draws attention to the time lag between a Commission press release on a new proposal and access to the full-text on EU-Lex which can be weeks later
Statewatch News Digest: 6 February 2013 (52 items)
Hungarian Jews flee to Austria amid upsurge of Anti-Semitism (Politics.hu, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 1 February 2013 (50 items)
January 2013
Statewatch News Digest: 29 January 2013 (43 items)
Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (Wiki, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 24 January 2013 (46 items)
Immigration: Italy summarily returning unaccompanied kids (ANSA Med, link)
What do you get when you cross a burrito with a drone? (New Statesman, link): "An unusual little business idea recently highlighted how blinkered governments have been in their deployment of drones in recent years. Invented by three young developers, the Burrito Bomber is a mini drone that tracks customers' locations via their smartphones and drops a burrito into onto their doorsteps. Mini aircraft flying around dropping takeaways out of the sky may seem bizarre and unnecessary but the prospect of using the same technology to deliver food and supplies to remote or war-torn areas is promising."
Statewatch News Digest: 21 January 2013 (31 items)
How Washington helped foster the Islamist uprising in Mali (New Internationalist, link)
High Velocity DNA Tagging System Launched By UK's Leading Forensic Marking Company (link) and High velocity DNA tagging system unveiled by Selectamark (Info4 Security, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 17 January 2013 (29 items)
Statewatch News Digest: 15 January 2013 (35 items)
Statewatch News Digest: 11 January 2013 (28 items)
Privacy by Design?: Let’s be smart and implement it?! (link)
The Frightening Hungarian Crackdown (The New Yorker, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 9 January 2013 (26 items)
Closing Europe’s Borders Becomes Big Business (Inter Press Service, link)
Rheinmetall demos laser that can shoot down drones (BBC News, link)
Apartheid In Italy? A Sicilian City's Proposal For Immigrant-Only Buses (Worldcrunch, link)
Migrant workers face 'severe exploitation' in Italy's farm sector (ecologist, link)
Statewatch News Digest: 7 January 2013 (31 items)
AUSTRIA: “Of violent birth, but poor validity”*: Austrian Constitutional Court questions validity of data retention directive - reference to ECJ
(link)
UK: Schedule 7 terror laws used to interrogate activists (NETPOL, link): "There is now abundant evidence that the police are using terrorism powers to stop and question activists on their political activities when they pass through UK ports. It is undoubtedly very helpful to the police that the draconian powers introduced by Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 provide no right to silence – a refusal to answer questions can lead to a criminal conviction. The powers are also hugely intimidating – people can be detained for up to nine hours and have their DNA and fingerprints taken. To top it all, no ‘reasonable suspicion’ is needed – the police and border authorities can stop whoever they wish. What more could ‘total policing’ wish for?
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