Iran Swiss national commits suicide in Iranian prison, officials say According to local reports, prison officials stepped in to rescue the Swiss national at the Semnan prison, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) east of Tehran. But their efforts were in vain. 09/01/2025
Europe Decoded Breaking down the €137 billion that Brussels has unfrozen for Poland The European Commission approved on Thursday the release of up to €137 billion in funds for Poland that had been frozen over rule-of-law concerns. Here's what the big number means – and hides. 29/02/2024
Europe News Hungary to get €920 million in EU recovery funds without conditions The European Commission approved on Thursday the revised version of Hungary’s recovery and resilience plan, a decision that foresees the release of €920 million without strings attached. 23/11/2023
Poland Poland passes new law to appease EU and release funding Brussels has suspended billions of euros in aid for Poland, criticising the government's control over the judiciary. 13/01/2023
Europe News Brussels ends 15 years of special rule-of-law surveillance on Romania The European Commission concluded Romania had made enough progress on anti-corruption legislation and judicial reforms. 23/11/2022
Europe News EU Council sued for approving Poland's €35-billion COVID recovery fund It is claimed the agreement between Brussels and Warsaw fails to restore judicial independence in Poland. 29/08/2022
Europe News Judicial independence is a concern in some EU countries, says Brussels The European Commission again highlighted Poland and Hungary as being of particular concern. 20/07/2021
Poland Euroviews. The day justice was finally served in Poland for vindicated anti-fascist campaigners ǀ View A judge has ruled in the favour of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly after a group of women protesting fascism at an Independence Day march in Poland were beaten - and themselves charged instead of their attackers. 29/10/2019
United Kingdom Euroviews. Zamira Hajiyeva’s case shows the damage that can be done when English courts are at odds ǀ View How does the English judicial system permit, on the one hand, an English so-called ‘McMafia’ order [...] to be made against Azerbaijani national, Zamira Hajiyeva, forcing her to reveal her wealth and how it was obtained, yet, on the other hand, deny Azerbaijan’s request for her extradition. 04/10/2019
Romania Romania's top court strikes down changes to criminal code Monday's ruling comes at a sensitive time, amid public outrage over the slow response of authorities to the abduction and murder of two teenage girls. 30/07/2019
Europe News Brussels unveils new measures to fight rule of law backsliding Over the past two years, the EU has threatened legal steps against Romania and launched Article 7 procedures — dubbed the "nuclear option" — against Poland and Hungary over reforms to their judiciary systems. 18/07/2019
Poland Euroviews. When Polish judges become human rights defenders ǀ View In a significant move today, the European Commission launched an infringement procedure to protect judges in Poland from political control. [...] By failing to protect judges from political interference, the country’s disciplinary regime [...] threatens the functioning of the EU as a whole. 04/04/2019
Poland EU moves to sanction Poland over law targeting judges "The new disciplinary regime undermines the judicial independence of Polish judges," the EU Commission's First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, said. 04/04/2019
Serbia Euroviews. Politicised judiciary hurts Serbia's chances of joining the EU | View Serbia’s failure to introduce genuine judicial reform will seriously jeopardise the country’s European future regardless of possible progress in relations with Kosovo, writes a policy analyst at the Open Society European Policy Institute. 10/10/2018
USA Trump orders FBI supplemental investigation on Judge Kavanaugh's file “I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file," Trump wrote in a Tweet. 28/09/2018
Poland Euroviews. 7 Questions for the Art. 7 Hearing on the rule of law in Poland | View It should become clear /.../ that the continuing, systemic and vicious attacks on Polish courts and their judges are bound to produce consequences beyond Polish borders and constitute a clear and present danger to the EU legal system as a whole. This is no time for further dialogue or half measures. 17/09/2018