May
Algeria: Migrants face raids, mass expulsions, and hate speech
In recent years, there has been an alarming rise in hate speech and persistent incitement against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in Algeria. Racist rhetoric is widely circulated in some media outlets and on social media, underpinning a general climate of marginalisation and discrimination. A joint letter signed by 20 organisations from Europe and Africa calls on the Algerian authorities to halt arbitrary mass expulsions of migrants, and to end policies that criminalise civil society organisations standing in solidarity with them.
"Deep concern" over EU's plan "to weaken or circumvent encryption"
The European Commission should reinforce and support that enable private communication, says a joint letter signed by almost 90 organisations, companies and technical experts. The Commission's recent Internal Security Strategy says there is a need to "enable law enforcement authorities to access encrypted data in a lawful manner," alongside a host of other proposals on policing and security. Statewatch is a signatory of the letter.
Turkey: Political prisoners must be freed as part of drive to end prison overcrowding
A statement signed by 12 organisations, including Statewatch, calls on the Turkish government to release political prisoners as part of a push to stop prison overcrowding. Political prisoners are currently exempt from the scheme due to anti-terrorism laws passed in 2020 and 2023. Those affected include lawyers, journalists, politicians, artists, judges and prosecutors, and human rights defenders.
EU: Business deregulation plans will undermine data protection rights
More than 120 organisations, including Statewatch, are calling on the EU to keep the General Data Protection Regulation in place, as the European Commission announces plans to remove certain provisions of the law in the name of removing 'red tape' for businesses. The signatories express concern that the proposed changes "could instead roll back key accountability safeguards and with them, the accountability principle itself."
Deportation camps: EU member states want to “prevent judicial scrutiny”
Agreements between the EU and non-EU states on so-called “return hubs” should be “framed in flexible way” to “prevent judicial scrutiny.” This is according to a document produced by the Polish Presidency of the Council in February, obtained and published by Statewatch.
France: Flaws and injustices of 'predictive policing' laid bare in new report
As part of a European initiative coordinated by Statewatch, La Quadrature du Net has published an English translation of its report on the state of predictive policing in France. In light of the information gathered, and given the dangers these systems carry when they incorporate socio-demographic data as a basis for their recommendations, La Quadrature calls for a ban.
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