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The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks presented his annual activity report for 2016 at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

In his report the Commissioner notes that 2016 will likely be remembered as a critical turning point for human rights in Europe.

“We will either see it as a low point from which European countries, individually and collectively, bounced back to reaffirm their commitment to human rights, or it will mark the beginning of the end of the European human rights system and European integration,” he said.

According to the report, 2016 also saw a continuation of previous trends of increasing pressures on human rights defenders and media outlets in a number of member states, including Azerbaijan.

The Commissioner underscored the structural deficiencies in the area of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, including judicial harassment of those expressing critical opinions and a pattern of retaliatory measures against those who co-operate with international organisations to expose human rights violations in the country.

The Commissioner also expressed concern at reports of harassment and other forms of pressure on lawyers in a number of Council of Europe member states, including Azerbaijan.

Overall, Nils Muižnieks underlined the unprecedented situation whereby three countries – Ukraine, France and now Turkey – have derogated from the European Convention on Human Rights. 2

016 also stood out as a result of moves undercutting the right to asylum at national and European level, the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom, the attempted coup in Turkey and the ensuing deterioration of the human rights situation there, policy initiatives seriously threatening the rule of law in Poland, and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

Regarding counter-terrorism, the Commissioner urged governments and parliaments to challenge the quasi-automatic prolongation of states of emergency and derogations from the Convention. “The fight against terrorism is a marathon, not a sprint”, he said and insisted on the urgent need to strengthen democratic oversight of security services.

The Commissioner additionally emphasised the need for the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly to prioritise attention to the situation of human rights defenders and the media.

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