WEEKLY BLOG - FEB. 27, 2021

AUTHOR

BY LISA JUNG, ROBIN DIETEREN, ZEYNEP ECE KARSLI, KAROLINA KISIEL, ANTONIA LANDWEHR & ANNA TERPORTEN

THIS WEEKS ISSUE CONTAINS SEVERAL VERY INTERESTING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD. ON THE ONE HAND WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK ATTENTION FOR VERY SPECIFIC ISSUES LIKE THE DISAPPEARING OF HÜSEYIN GALIP KÜÇÜKÖZYIĞIT AND SANCTIONS BY THE EU AGAINST RUSSIA FOR LOCKING UP NAVALNY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE SEVERAL GENERAL ISSUE THAT DESERVE ATTENTION LIKE THE REFUGEE CRISIS, ALSO RELATING TO CLIMATE, AND THE POLISH MEDIA BEING UNDER THREAT.

EUROPEAN MEASURES AGAINST RUSSIA? THE CASE OF NAVALNY AMONG THE MAJORITY OF EUROPEAN MEMBER STATES THERE’S CONSENSUS THAT RUSSIA HAS GONE TOO FAR IN LOCKING UP OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEJ NAVALNY. FOR RUSSIAN’S INVOLVED IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONCERNING THE TRIAL, THERE WILL BE SANCTIONS. THESE COULD BE POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARRESTED NAVALNY, JUDGES WHO SENTENCED HIM OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INVOLVED IN CRACKING DOWN ON PROTESTS IN RUSSIA. THEIR BANK BALANCES WILL BE FROZEN AND THEY WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE VISAS TO TRAVEL TO THE EU. HOWEVER, NAVALNY HIMSELF HAD BEEN ADVOCATING FOR MEASURES AGAINST THE ‘BIG FISH’, LIKE RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS CONNECTED TO PUTIN. HE SPOKE TO MEPS AT THE END OF NOVEMBER AND STATED THAT IF THE WEALTHY ELITE CAN NO LONGER DOCK THEIR LUXURY YACHTS IN THE PORTS OF MONACO AND BARCELONA, ​​THEY WILL PUT PRESSURE ON PUTIN TO CHANGE COURSE, NAVALNY ARGUES. HOWEVER, THIS WILL BE QUITE DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE SINCE THE THE PEOPLE TARGETED BY THOSE SANCTIONS MUST HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THOSE VIOLATIONS. AND THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE OLIGARCHS. THE IMPACT IS ALSO RATHER LIMITED SINCE IF THE RUSSIAN POLICE OFFICERS OR JUDGES ON THE SANCTION LIST DO NOT TRAVEL TO THE EU ANYWAY, THEY WILL NEVER BE DENIED A VISA. THE QUESTION IS ALSO WHETHER THESE GROUPS HAVE EUROPEAN BANK BALANCES. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT UNANIMITY AMONG MINISTERS IS REQUIRED IN THE EU TO IMPOSE THESE SANCTIONS, WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE SINCE THE EU COUNTRIES ARE BY NO MEANS ALWAYS ALIGNED WITH REGARD TO THEIR RUSSIA POLICY. HUNGARY FOR EXAMPLE BUYS CORONA VACCINES FROM RUSSIA, WHILE GERMANY DOES NOT WANT TO IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS SINCE IT COULD AFFECT THE RUSSIAN-GERMAN GAS PIPELINE NORDSTREAM 2. FOR THE TIME BEING, IT IS UNKNOWN WHO EXACTLY WILL BE PLACED ON THE SANCTION LIST. BRUSSELS OFFICIALS WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS IN THE COMING WEEKS. AT THE EU SUMMIT NEXT MONTH, EU LEADERS WILL THEN LIKELY CONFIRM THE NAMES. AT THIS MOMENT HOWEVER, IT LOOKS LIKE THE SANCTIONS WILL NOT HAVE THE IMPACT NAVALNY ADVOCATED FOR.

NOW YOU SEE ME MORIA A DUSTY ROAD, AN ABANDONED PUSHCHAIR, MEAGER MEALS. THESE POSTS, ACCOMPANIED BY CAPTIONS ADDRESSED DIRECTLY TO EUROPEAN POLITICIANS AND NEWSPAPERS, OFFER A CONTRAST TO THE PERFECT INFLUENCER PHOTOGRAPHS WE ARE SO USED TO SEEING ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. NOW YOU SEE ME MORIA IS A CAMPAIGN AIMING TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CAMP MORIA (LESVOS, GREECE) DUE TO THE FAILING EUROPEAN MIGRATION POLICY. AFTER THE FIRST REFUGEE CAMP BURNED DOWN IN SEPTEMBER, ALMOST 13.000 PEOPLE LOST THEIR SHELTER AND SANITARY PROVISIONS. THE DREADFUL SITUATION GOT PICKED UP BY THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA. HOWEVER, NOTHING CHANGED. THE SITUATION IN THE SECOND CAMP (WHICH IS BUILT ON A FORMER MILITARY SHOOTING RANGE) REMAINS CATASTROPHIC. WITH NO SHOWERS, PEOPLE HAVE TO BATH IN THE OCEAN WITH COLD WATER. PEOPLE SLEEP ON WOODEN PALLETS. WOMEN AND CHILDREN WAIT IN LINE FOR HOURS TO GET FOOD. THERE IS HARDLY ANY PRIVACY, AND CURRENTLY THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY. ON TOP OF THAT, VISIBILITY HAS BEEN REDUCED TO ALMOST ZERO: JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE NEW CAMP. WHILST NGO-WORKERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO NOT TAKE PICTURES. BUT VISIBILITY IS KEY TO INVOKING CHANGE. SO LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE. ALL TO MAKE SURE EUROPEAN POLICYMAKERS UNDERTAKE ACTION. HÜSEYIN GALIP KÜÇÜKÖZYIĞIT, A FORMER LEGAL ADVISOR AT THE PRIME MINISTRY HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE DECEMBER 29. HIS FAMILY SUSPECT HIM TO HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED AND SUBJECTED TO ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE. THE PROSECUTOR’S REQUEST FOR AN INVESTIGATION TO BE CARRIED OUT TO LOCATE KÜÇÜKÖZYIĞIT’S PHONE WAS REJECTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUDGESHIP IN ANKARA ON GROUNDS THAT HE IS NOT A SUSPECT. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE PROSECUTOR HAS APPEALED THIS DECISION. HIS DAUGHTER NURSENA KÜÇÜKÖZYIĞIT: “HE HAD SAID HE HEARD OF PEOPLE HE KNEW BEING ABDUCTED, WHICH MAKES US THINK THAT HE WAS THE LATEST VICTIM,” SHE SAID. DESPITE ALL THE APPLICATIONS THE FAMILY MADE TO THE STATE, THE POLICE DO NOT OPEN AN INVESTIGATION. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT 32 CITIZENS HAVE BEEN FORCEFULLY DISAPPEARED IN TURKEY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SOME OF THEM ARE STILL MISSING.

RECENTLY, THE POLISH RULING PARTY, LAW AND JUSTICE, PROPOSED A NEW TAX ON THE POLISH MEDIA THAT IS SAID TO THREATEN THEIR INDEPENDENCE. THE MAJORITY PARTY SAYS THAT THE ONLY AIM OF THE TAX IS TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE AND FIGHT MORE EFFICIENTLY AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, MANY OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED REGARDING THE NEW TAX. “THE AD TAX IS A POWERFUL BLOW TO FREE MEDIA. MOST OF THEM RELY ON ADVERTISING REVENUE FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD. THE AUTHORITIES WILL THUS THWART COSTLY INVESTIGATIONS, DO AWAY WITH LABORIOUS FACT-CHECKING AND STIFLE CRITICISM. THIS IS HOW ORBÁN GOT RID OF FREE MEDIA IN HUNGARY,” (GAZETA WYBORCZA). ALSO, THE POLISH FORMER OMBUDSMAN, ADAM BODNAR, SAID “I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE AIM IS TO HIT THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA”. AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BILL, MANY POLISH MEDIA COMPANIES WENT ON A 24-HOUR STRIKE. THEY RUN A BLANK PAGE WITH THE TEXT “THIS USED TO BE YOUR FAVOURITE PROGRAMME”, STRESSING OUT THE THREAT THAT THIS TAX WILL PUT ON MEDIA AND JOURNALISTIC INDEPENDENCE. THEY DESCRIBED THE NEW TAX AS “OUTRAGEOUS” AND EMPHASISED THAT SUCH A BILL SHALL NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE COUNTRY ABIDING BY THE RULE OF LAW. IF PASSED, THE BILL WILL IMPOSE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ADVERTISING IN RADIO, TELEVISION, PRESS, OUTDOOR ADVERTISING AND CINEMAS AS WELL AS FROM ONLINE ADVERTISING. THE GATHERED FUNDS ARE SAID TO BOOST THE NATIONAL HEALTH FUND AND A NEWLY ESTABLISHED FUND TO SUPPORT “CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE IN THE MEDIA”. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE MEDIA EXECUTIVE, STRESS OUT THE FACT THAT “IF IT [THE MEDIA TAX] GOES THROUGH, IT WOULD BE THE FINAL THING [PIS] NEED TO CONTROL THE MEDIA. SOME PUBLISHERS WILL SIMPLY NOT SURVIVE, OTHERS WILL JUST SELL TO THE GOVERNMENT.”. MOREOVER, IT’S WORTH EMPHASISING THAT THE POLISH NATIONAL TV (TVP) IS OF COURSE ALSO COVERED BY THE TAX, BUT IT RECEIVES ENORMOUS FUNDS OF 2 BILLION ZŁOTY (ABOUT 440 MILLION EURO), SO IT NATURALLY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED MUCH BY THE TAX. TVP IS A STATION COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY LAW AND JUSTICE AND THROUGHOUT THE TIME IT HAS TURNED INTO PRO-GOVERNMENTAL PROPAGANDA. TAKING ALL OF THIS INTO ACCOUNT, AFTER PASSING THIS BILL, IT IS VERY LIKELY TO MAKE THE POSITION OF THE NATIONAL TV EVEN STRONGER, WHEREAS MANY PRIVATE MEDIA INSTITUTIONS WILL FALL DOWN OR BECOME WEAKER.

CLIMATE MIGRATION - HOW THE CHANGING CLIMATE FORCES SOME TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND SINCE 2008 APPROXIMATELY 26.4 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AS A RESULT OF THE DESTRUCTIVE CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE FLOODS, WIND STORMS, EARTHQUAKES, OR DROUGHTS, AND THE NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO KEEP RISING: RESEARCHERS FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PREDICT THAT, DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS EXACERBATION OF THE STATE OF THE EARTH'S CLIMATE, APPLICATIONS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL INCREASE BY APPROXIMATELY 28% BY 2100.

WHO IS CONSIDERED A CLIMATE REFUGEE? A PERSON WHO HAS TO LEAVE HIS OR HER HOME TO MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, ANOTHER CONTINENT OR, A SAFER LOCATION WITHIN HIS OR HER OWN COUNTRY IS REFERRED TO AS A CLIMATE REFUGEE. HOWEVER, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, THE TERM “CLIMATE REFUGEE” IS FREQUENTLY CONSIDERED TO BE PROBLEMATIC. CLIMATE CHANGE IS USUALLY NOT THE SOLE UNDERLYING REASON LEADING TO PEOPLES’ LIVELIHOODS BEING THREATENED, AND THEREFORE, FORCING THEM TO MIGRATE. THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE USUALLY COMBINE WITH OTHER CAUSES LIKE THE LACK OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES OR CONFLICTS FORCING PEOPLE TO SEARCH FOR BETTER PLACES TO LIVE. AS A RESULT, IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE THE CAUSES LEADING TO PEOPLE HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. THUS, AT THE MOMENT, THERE IS NO FORMAL DEFINITION OF THE TERM “CLIMATE REFUGEE”. AS A RESULT, THE TERM IS NOT YET RECOGNIZED AND PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. AS THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY, THE UNHCR, EMPHASIZES, CLIMATE CHANGE PER SE IS NOT DIRECTLY A CAUSE FOR MIGRATION BUT CAN RATHER BE SEEN AS A RISK MULTIPLIER. ALTERING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTE TO SLOW-ONSET EVENTS SUCH AS DESERTIFICATION, RAIN PATTERN SHIFTS, SEA-LEVEL RISE OR OCEAN ACIDIFICATION. ALL OF THIS CAN LEAD TO WORSE HARVEST OR WATER SCARCITY, RESULTING IN FOOD CONFLICTS AND THUS FORCING PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE WILL AFFECT EVERY COUNTRY TO SOME DEGREE. HOWEVER, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, COUNTRIES DEALING WITH CONFLICTS, OR COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE MOST STRONGLY. THUS, IT IS EXPECTED THAT HIGHER RATES OF MIGRATION WILL OCCUR IN THESE COUNTRIES. ADDITIONALLY, IN MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PEOPLES’ LIVELIHOODS STRONGLY DEPEND ON NATURAL RESOURCES WHICH ALSO MAKES THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO NATURAL DISASTERS. WEALTHY COUNTRIES, WITH A WELL-WORKING GOVERNMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST CATASTROPHES LIKE FLOODS, STORMS, OR DROUGHTS, LEADING TO LOWER RATES OF MIGRATION.

HOW TO MANAGE THIS CRISIS? CURRENT APPROACHES TO HANDLE THE GROWING NUMBER OF CLIMATE REFUGEES REVEAL ONE MAJOR PROBLEM THAT APPLIES TO ALMOST ALL CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE WE EXPERIENCE - IT IS REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE TOO LITTLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES DESIGNED TO ANTICIPATE MIGRATION FLOWS. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING HOW WE COULD PREVENT THE OUTBREAK OF CRISES THAT FORCE PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, WE ONLY TAKE ACTION WHEN IT’S TOO LATE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS TO OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE IS THE FACT THAT CLIMATE REFUGEES ARE UNLIKELY TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES, SINCE THEIR HOMES ARE NOT VIABLE FOR THE LONG TERM ANYMORE. THIS DISTINGUISHES THEM FROM REFUGEES FLEEING FROM WAR AND PERSECUTION, SINCE THEY MIGHT RETURN ONCE THE SITUATION IS LESS DANGEROUS. WHAT INDEED WOULD BE NEEDED IS A PROPER RISK MANAGEMENT BY IDENTIFYING IN ADVANCE WHICH REGIONS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP CONFLICTS SOON. THIS WOULD ENABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES SUCH AS THE UNHCR TO GENERATE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT FROM THE START, WHICH ULTIMATELY MINIMIZES THE COSTS FOR BOTH REFUGEES AND GOVERNMENTS. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT NOWADAYS, MANY CLIMATE REFUGEES STAY IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY AND SIMPLY MOVE TO ANOTHER REGION WITHIN THE NATION’S TERRITORY. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENABLE STATES AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE TO HANDLE THE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THEIR OWN, THUS ENSURING THAT THE CLIMATE REFUGEES DO NOT NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THE BORDERS. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE REFUGEES IS ULTIMATELY LINKED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. THE COUNTRIES MOST AFFECTED BY GLOBAL WARMING ARE THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ONLY LITTLE RESOURCES TO PROPERLY HANDLE ITS CONSEQUENCES AND PROTECT ITS CITIZENS. THIS ARTICLE IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MAASTRICHT AND MAASTRICHT FOR CLIMATE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT ARE CLOSELY INTERLINKED AND NEED TO DEVELOP COMMON APPROACHES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF TODAY’S WORLD. A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE MUST GO HAND IN HAND WITH GOOD LIVING CONDITIONS FOR ALL HUMANS. ON THE 8TH OF FEBRUARY 2021, THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THE SUSPENSION OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE AFTER A GOVERNMENT COMMISSION REPORTED STRUCTURAL ISSUES AND ABUSES IN ADOPTION CASES RANGING FROM 1967 TO 1998. THE JOUSTRA COMMISSION LAUNCHED THE INVESTIGATION UNDER PRESSURE FROM GROWN-UP ADOPTEES WHO, WHEN RESEARCHING THEIR ROOTS, FOUND THAT THEIR PAPERS HAD BEEN FORGED OR THAT THEIR ADOPTION HAD BEEN ILLEGAL. THE REPORT BROUGHT TO LIGHT CASES OF FORGERY OF DOCUMENTS, CHILD TRAFFICKING, FRAUD, AND CORRUPTION. RIGHTS MINISTER SANDER DEKKER ANNOUNCED THE HALT, APOLOGIZING TO THE FAMILIES HARMED BY THIS SYSTEM AND REITERATING THAT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS. NO DEADLINE HAS BEEN GIVEN ON THE SUSPENSION. WITH ELECTIONS COMING UP IN MARCH, IT WILL BE THE NEW CABINET’S TASK TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS IN THE COUNTRY. PARENT COUPLES WHO ALREADY HAVE A SO-CALLED “PRINCIPLE PERMISSION” CAN STILL COMPLETE THE PROCEDURE AFTER AN ADDITIONAL TEST. NEW APPLICATIONS TO START AN ADOPTION PROCEDURE WILL NOT BE PROCESSED FOR THE TIME BEING.