Vol 17(2): April-July 2007
Topic
Country/Region
31 July 2007
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FOI in the EU back on the agenda: Statewatch lodges two complaints against the Commission
Statewatch has lodged two complaints against the European Commission with the European Ombudsman. The first concerns the Commission's failure to maintain a proper public register of documents as it is obliged to do under the Regulation on access to EU documents (1049/2001). The second concerns the Commission's failure to produce its annual report on access to documents for 2005 in the year 2006.
Switzerland: Whistleblowers cleared by military court
A military court has acquitted three Swiss journalists of "violating military secrecy" for publishing details of secret prisons run by the CIA in eastern Europe and elsewhere. Christopher Grenacher, editor of the Zurich-basedSonntagsBlick, and two journalists on the paper, Sandro Brotz and Beat Jost, were charged after publishing a leaked fax "dealing with supposed places of detention and interrogation methods used by the US foreign intelligence service (CIA)."
UK: “Talking” CCTV expanded
In April 2007 the Home Office announced the extension of “talking” CCTV cameras to 20 “communities” across England at a cost of over £500,000.
Spain: Nigerian man dies during forced expulsion
A 23-year-old Nigerian man, Osamuyia Aikpitanhi, died in mid-flight on 9 June 2007 from cardio-respiratory failure caused by asphyxia during a deportation on an Iberia flight from Madrid's Barajas airport to Lagos, according to medical reports.
France: Air France KLM employees demand end to deportations
On 5 July, representatives of Air France's central trade union committee (comité d'entreprise, CCE) passed a motion demanding that Air France KLM Group shareholders "stop the use of aircraft of the Group Air France KLM for the deportation of foreigners".
Nigeria/Europe: UN rapporteur finds systematic torture
Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, reminds Western governments in his latest report that Nigeria engages in systematic torture.
EU/Turkey: Turkey withdraws support for EU military policy
Turkey has decided to withdraw its support for the EU military operations that it delivered since the beginning of the 2000s to achieve the Headline Goals 2010 targets. Sources said that General Yilmaz Oguz, the Turkish military representative to NATO had officially conveyed Turkey ́s decision to the EU in May.
EU: MILEX 07 military exercise
From 7-15 June the EU Military Staff held its second military exercise, called MILEX 07. It was a so-called Command Post Exercise (CPX), with no troops involved, only staff.
UK: Prison suicides reach two a week
Suicides in jails in England and Wales have risen to two a week - with 50 deaths so far in 2007, compared with 67 in the whole of 2006.
UK: Judge discharges BNP bomb plot jury
UK: TUs expulsion of racist was legal
Germany: “New” security strategy - a permanent state of war
Features and analyses
UK: Committee condemns deliberately “inhumane” asylum system
Italy: Unlawful SISMI surveillance of judges and NGOs
Italy: Cracks appear in police silence on Genoa
UK-Spain: Writ of habeas corpus in Farid Hilali case
Netherlands: Police raids on migrant community spark little public outrage
Heiligendamm G8 Summit: A chronology of protest and repression
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