Brussels, February 19, 2024 – The European Sikh Organization has issued a strong condemnation following reports of excessive force used by Indian security forces against farmers protesting in India since February 13, 2024. The farmers, who have been demanding the implementation of Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for their crops, reminiscent of the widespread 2020–2021 Indian farmers’ agitation, have reportedly faced severe and violent crackdowns.
In a distressing turn of events, it has been reported that the use of pellet guns by Indian forces has resulted in severe injuries among the protestors, with at least three farmers being blinded. This method of crowd control, previously seen in the contentious regions of Kashmir, marks a troubling use of lethal force against civilians voicing their dissent.
The European Sikh Organization, representing the Sikh community in Europe, has taken swift action by bringing this issue to the forefront of the European Parliament. The organization plans to engage with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to highlight the severity of the situation and advocate for the rights of the Indian farmers within the broader framework of the European Union’s commitment to human rights.
Expressing solidarity with the farmers, the European Sikh Organization emphasized the stark contrast between the handling of farmer protests in Europe and India. In Europe, farmers’ rights to protest and advocate for their interests are often met with dialogue and negotiation, rather than violence and suppression. This disparity highlights a significant concern over the treatment of Indian farmers and the need for international attention to ensure their fundamental rights are protected.
The support from the farming community in Belgium towards their Indian counterparts is a testament to the global nature of the issue, underscoring the universal right to peaceful protest and the importance of government accountability in addressing citizens’ grievances.
As the situation develops, the European Sikh Organization’s efforts to bring international scrutiny to the use of force against Indian farmers are a crucial step in advocating for justice and human rights. The organization’s call to action within the European Union represents a broader plea for global solidarity with those fighting for their livelihoods and rights, against disproportionate use of force and suppression.
Brussels, Belgium – In a significant move to safeguard digital rights and user safety, the European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against the social media giant, TikTok, to investigate potential breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This action underscores the EU’s commitment to enforcing its groundbreaking legislation aimed at regulating the digital space, particularly in areas concerning the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and the management of content that could be deemed harmful or addictive.
Following a preliminary investigation, which included a detailed analysis of TikTok’s risk assessment report submitted in September 2023 and the company’s responses to the Commission’s formal Requests for Information, the Commission has identified several areas of concern. These include TikTok‘s compliance with DSA obligations related to systemic risks, such as the potential for algorithmic systems to foster behavioral addictions or lead users down harmful ‘rabbit hole effects.’ The investigation will also scrutinize TikTok’s measures to protect minors, including the effectiveness of its age verification tools and default privacy settings, as well as the platform’s transparency in advertising and data accessibility for research purposes.
If TikTok is found to have failed in these areas, it would constitute infringements of multiple articles within the DSA, signaling a breach of the obligations set forth for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOP). TikTok, which declared having 135.9 million monthly active users in the EU as of April 2023, falls under this category and is therefore subject to stringent compliance requirements under the DSA.
The formal proceedings mark a critical phase in the Commission’s enforcement of the DSA, empowering it to take further actions, including interim measures and non-compliance decisions. The Commission may also accept any commitments made by TikTok to address the issues under investigation. It’s important to note that the opening of these proceedings does not imply a predetermined outcome, nor does it limit the Commission’s ability to investigate other potential infringements under the DSA or other regulatory frameworks.
As the investigation progresses, the Commission will continue to gather evidence, potentially conducting interviews, inspections, and sending additional requests for information to TikTok. The duration of this in-depth investigation will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the case and the extent of TikTok’s cooperation.
This action by the European Commission is a clear demonstration of the EU’s resolve to ensure that digital platforms operate in a manner that protects users’ rights and safety, particularly those of minors. It also highlights the comprehensive nature of the DSA, which applies to all online intermediaries operating within the EU, setting a global benchmark for digital regulation. As the proceedings unfold, the digital community and TikTok users will be keenly watching for the outcome and its implications for the future of digital services regulation in Europe and beyond.
In a decisive move, the European Union has once again voiced its firm backing for the Belarusian people’s aspirations for democracy, sovereignty, and human rights. The Council’s latest conclusions underscore a deep commitment to a Belarus that is free, democratic, and an integral part of a peaceful and prosperous Europe.
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, emphasized that Belarus remains a priority for the EU, condemning the Lukashenka regime’s ongoing human rights violations and repression, especially in the lead-up to the parliamentary and local elections set for 25 February 2024. “Those responsible will be held to account. We stand in solidarity with the Belarusian people and remain determined to mobilise all tools to support their quest for peace and democracy,” Borrell stated.
The Council’s conclusions express grave concerns over the deteriorating human rights conditions in Belarus, strongly denouncing the regime’s persecution, intimidation, and efforts to undermine the fairness and legitimacy of the upcoming elections. The Lukashenka regime’s actions, which threaten the national identity of Belarus by suppressing the Belarusian language and culture, were also highlighted as areas of deep concern.
In addition to domestic repression, the Council condemned Belarus’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the regime’s hybrid attacks at the EU’s external borders, including the instrumentalization of migrants. These actions not only exacerbate regional tensions but also violate international obligations.
In response to these actions, the EU has implemented targeted sanctions against the Lukashenka regime and stands ready to impose further measures should the authorities continue their oppressive actions. These sanctions aim to hold the regime accountable and support the Belarusian people’s pursuit of democratic freedoms.
Support for Belarusian civil society remains a cornerstone of the EU’s strategy, with the establishment of the EU Consultative Group with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society being a notable step forward. This group serves as a platform for dialogue and support for those fighting for democracy in Belarus.
Moreover, the EU has pledged a comprehensive economic support package worth €3 billion to a future democratic Belarus. This plan aims to foster resilience, promote democratic reforms, create jobs, and improve living standards, signaling the EU’s long-term commitment to Belarus’s integration into the European family.
The Council’s conclusions are a clear indication of the EU’s unwavering support for the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations and its readiness to stand against any form of repression. As Belarus approaches critical elections, the international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful transition towards democracy and respect for human rights.
European Parliament from EU, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
In a significant address at the conference on “The Future of EU Enlargement: Judiciary and Fundamental Rights,” Olivér Várhelyi, highlighted the European Union’s steadfast commitment to its enlargement policy, emphasizing its role as a geostrategic investment in the continent’s long-term peace, stability, and security.
“I am glad to address today’s conference, which focuses on respecting and protecting Judiciary and Fundamental Rights in the framework of the EU’s Enlargement process,” Várhelyi stated, expressing his gratitude towards Minister Malenica and the Croatian Ministry of Justice and Public Administration for their pivotal role in organizing the event.
The conference comes at a crucial time, following the historic decisions by the European Council in December 2023, which Várhelyi sees as a response to “the call of our history to complete our Union.” He drew inspiration from Croatia’s journey towards EU membership, particularly highlighting the country’s experience in negotiating Chapters 23 and 24, which deal with Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, as a beacon for other countries aspiring to join the EU.
Várhelyi underscored the importance of democratic development through the advancement of Rule of Law chapters, stating, “Advancing on the objectives of these Rule of Law chapters are essential for democratic development. Namely, to ensure an independent and accountable judiciary providing an effective protection of fundamental rights.”
The Commissioner reassured continuous support from the Commission for reform efforts in all enlargement countries, emphasizing that the process remains merit-based. “The new enlargement methodology that we adopted in 2020 is valid. Fundamentals are at the centre of the accession process, and the pace of negotiations depends on the progress of reforms in our partners,” he elaborated.
Várhelyi also touched upon the critical link between the rule of law and economic development, pointing out that a “well-functioning independent judicial system attracts international investments and fosters economic growth.” He highlighted the necessity for predictability and a corruption-free environment for economic operators to invest confidently.
In his concluding remarks, Várhelyi stressed the paramount importance of protecting and promoting fundamental rights, from freedom of expression to the rights of persons belonging to minorities. “Every constructive action towards these goals brings us closer to a stable and peaceful Europe,” he affirmed.
The conference, as Várhelyi’s address suggests, is not just a discussion on the technical aspects of EU enlargement but a reaffirmation of the EU’s dedication to upholding the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights in its quest to expand and strengthen the Union.
In a statement that has sent ripples across the international community, the European Union has expressed its profound outrage over the death of Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure. The EU holds Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country’s authorities “ultimately responsible” for Navalny‘s demise.
“The European Union is outraged by the death of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, for which the ultimate responsibility lies with President Putin and the Russian authorities,” said the High Representative on behalf of the EU. The statement was made following a meeting at the Foreign Affairs Council, where deep condolences were extended to Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, their children, family, friends, and all who collaborated with him for the betterment of Russia.
The EU has demanded that Russia permit “an independent and transparent international investigation into the circumstances of his sudden death.” It has vowed to coordinate closely with its partners to hold Russia’s political leadership accountable, hinting at the imposition of further sanctions as a consequence of their actions.
Navalny’s death has sparked a global outpouring of grief, with tributes being paid worldwide. However, in Russia, authorities have attempted to stifle these memorials, detaining several hundred individuals in the process. The EU has called for their immediate release.
Navalny’s return to Russia after surviving an assassination attempt involving the nerve agent “Novichok” — a substance banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention — marked him as a figure of immense bravery. Despite facing politically motivated charges and being isolated in a Siberian penal colony, Navalny continued his work, with his access to family severely restricted and his lawyers facing harassment.
The EU has consistently condemned Navalny’s poisoning and the politically motivated judgments against him, demanding his immediate and unconditional release and calling on Russia to ensure his safety and health.
“Throughout his life, Mr. Navalny demonstrated incredible courage, dedication to his country and his fellow citizens, and determination with his anti-corruption work across Russia,” the statement highlighted. It underscored the fear Navalny instilled in Putin and his regime, especially amidst Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the upcoming Russian Presidential elections in March.
Navalny’s death is seen as a “shocking” testament to the “accelerating and systematic repression in Russia.” The EU reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Russia, including Yuri Dmitriev, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, Alexei Gorinov, Lilia Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeeva, Alexandra Skochilenko, and Ivan Safronov.
This statement marks a significant moment in EU-Russian relations, reflecting the EU’s stance on human rights violations and its readiness to take action against those deemed responsible.
Screen time can seriously harm your eyes: here’s how to avoid it 6
Every day, more and more patients are seeking medical attention after spending long days in front of computer screens. The most common symptoms include irritated or itchy eyes, and a sensation of dryness or sand on the surface of the eye.
These are the tell tale signs of dry eye disease, which affects anywhere from 5% to 50% of the world’s population, depending on age, gender, ethnicity and other factors. This condition can stem from multiple causes, but lifestyle plays an important role. Screen use – and overuse – is one of the leading factors.
We blink less when looking at computers, phones and tablets, and when we do, our blinking is often incomplete, meaning the eye does not fully close. Screens are also a source of projected light, which raises the temperature of the eye’s surface and increases tear evaporation.
At the University of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, we carried out a study of university students who received hybrid teaching during the COVID pandemic: 50% of their classes were in person, and 50% were online. According to the data we gathered, increased screen time was linked to more severe dry eye symptoms. Those who used screens for more time outside class (over 8 hours per day) showed more acute symptoms.
The relationship between hours of screen use and dry eye symptoms. The graph compares symptoms from 6 hours (left), 6 to 8 hours (middle), and over 8 hours (right) of daily screen time across a similar age group.
Although reducing screen time is impossible in certain jobs, we can reduce irritation and problems by following certain recommendations. A basic understanding of the issue can also help us to look after our eyes.
Teardrops and eyelids
The eye’s surface is made up of eyelids, the tear film (the eye’s liquid coating), the cornea and the conjunctiva. The health of these tissues is linked to the eye’s functioning. If any of them are affected, it can lead to irritation in the eye.
The tear film is made up of two layers. The bottom layer consists of proteins and water, and the top consists of oil. The water layer is responsible for keeping the eye hydrated, while the oil prevents it from evaporating too quickly. Problems with either layer can cause imbalances, preventing them from being distributed evenly and leading to irritation.
The eyelids are what keep the tear film evenly distributed, as well as providing protection. Blinking less often – which we do when looking at a screen – prevents this layer from being properly distributed over the eye’s surface.
Do you suffer from dry eye disease?
First and foremost, there is often no cause for panic: suffering certain symptoms of dry eyes does not necessarily mean you have dry eye disease. The guide published by the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society makes it very clear that, in addition to reported symptoms, patients must also show signs of damage to the eye’s surface. A medical professional will determine whether this damage exists, and what further measures need to be taken.
There are, however, certain signs to watch out for. These include a sensation of dryness, itching, burning, irritation or watering eyes. Researchers have found that the most common symptom after extended screen use is irritation.
How to reduce irritation and avoid dry eye disease
By taking precautions, we can ensure that screens work with us, not against us.
Screen height: It is always best to keep screens below eye level. This way the eyelids do not have to open as much, meaning less of the eye’s surface is exposed for prolonged periods.
Screen position and lighting: You should avoid light reflecting off screens, be it from a lamp or from a window behind where you sit. Excessive light forces us to concentrate harder, and therefore to blink less. This can be solved by using anti reflective filters.
Rest periods: Rest is your eyes’ best friend. A common rule of thumb is the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of work, look at something 20 feet away (about 6 metres), for 20 seconds. This has been proven to reduce symptoms of eye dryness, as looking away from the screen re establishes our normal rate of blinking.
Environmental conditions: Low humidity, high temperatures, air currents from open windows or air conditioners, tobacco smoke and excessive air freshener can all be bad for eye health.
Eye hydration: Eye drops may be the best option on particularly intense working days. Avoid saline solutions, as their composition is not the same as the tear film. They lack the oils and proteins, and could destabilise this layer. The best option is single dose artificial tears, which do not contain preservatives and do not damage the eye.
The prevalence of screens in our society means that symptoms of dry eye disease are commonplace. If we confront this issue by taking the right steps, however, it doesn’t have to affect our quality of life.
Screen time can seriously harm your eyes: here’s how to avoid it 7
Screen time can seriously harm your eyes: here’s how to avoid it 8Screen time can seriously harm your eyes: here’s how to avoid it 9
In the early 90s, one of the largest war conflicts arose in Europe at that time as a result of the demolition of the extinct Yugoslavia, in what was called: The Balkan War. On May 13, 1992, a psychiatrist named Radovan Karadzic became the first president of what was called The Republic of Srpkas, until 1996. Just four years were enough for Karadzic to be known as one of the greatest murderers and genocidaires in history.
Radovan Karadzic was born on June 19, 1945 in Petnjica, a small municipality near Savnik, in the Montenegro area (Yugoslavia). His father: Vuko, former member of the radical group of the chetniks, He was arrested a few years after his birth. He managed to study, but to do so he had to go to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1960 he managed to consolidate his studies in psychiatry and psychology, to work in a hospital in Kosovo.
In 1986 he founded the Serbian Democratic Party. If Hitler’s idea, when the extermination of the Jews and the lower classes in World War II was proposed, was to establish the hegemony of the Aryan race in the world, that of Radovan Karadzic, this ultra-orthodox nationalist was the to implement in the Balkans, with the acquiescence of Russia and Greece, the Greater Serbia. A dream that even today many oligarchs and politicians in the area, including the Orthodox patriarchs, are no strangers to.
More to achieve this, in those 90s, there was the problem of the Muslim community existing in the area of Sarajevo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. For which a conflict was designed, initially intellectually devised by Karadzic, supported by the then president of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic. And on those dates (1992-1996) began the greatest carnage of European citizens of Muslim origin in the heart of Europe that has been experienced in the last 30 years. All European countries failed miserably, and that Muslim community at the heart of Christian Europe was considered an anachronism. Of That Atrocious Pincer, perhaps what has reached the most today is the headline: The siege of Sarajevo.
The siege of Sarajevo
The siege of Sarajevo was undoubtedly considered full-fledged ethnic cleansing, including extermination camps. Thousands of women were raped and thousands more were exterminated in the bread queues in Sarajevo, throwing grenades so that they were torn to death. The snipers mercilessly killed people who were walking on the street or dared to go out to get food, including children.
For a couple of years no one did anything, while Slobodan and Radovan continued to enjoy their power by besieging and condoning the massacre. Men, women and children were exterminated mercilessly at that time, but the massacre that Karadzic himself ordered in 1995 in Srebrenica was especially bloody, personally directing the Bosnian Serb forces and encouraging them to create an area that was unsafe even for members of the UN. In fact, when years later he was accused of war crimes, he was also accused of having ordered the kidnapping of members of the United Nations.
To achieve all this, his talk and his knowledge of human behavior and mass manipulation served to harangue his followers with his speeches and sell them that everything they were doing benefited that great objective, which was the implementation of that Great Serbia free of ethnicities that was not up to that race.
Necrophagy in besieged cities
This is how the months passed, facing the inaction of the rest of the world. Russia welcomed the extermination of Muslims, while the rest of Europe remained silent with lukewarm harangues and the US spoke of promising progress in peace plans, but when the Bosnian ambassador to the UN denounced cases of necrophagy in besieged cities , something seemed to change in political opinion about said conflict: perhaps the shame of not being doing anything for those people.
The social and human deterioration of those poor people subjected to the barbarism and unreason of the war promoted by that insane character was such that, in some areas, they ended up eating the dead, in order to feed themselves and be able to survive a few more days. hoping to see humanitarian aid arrive. But this one had serious obstacles with its own name: Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic.
In a note issued from the headquarters of the United Nations, the Spanish agency EFE, issued the following:
“Survivors in two eastern cities of Bosnia-Herzegovina are eating the dead due to lack of food, the republic’s ambassador to the UN Mohamed Sacirbey reported on Tuesday night.
The Bosnian representative pointed out that the information was provided to him by the military chief of the Tusla region, who did not give details about how many cases of necrophagy had been registered in the towns of Zapa and Cereska.
The convoy with humanitarian aid destined for the city of Cereska has been blocked for four days on the border by Bosnian Serb forces, and ‘has not moved,’ Sacirbey added.
“Several UN agencies and mediator Cyrus Vance have asked Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for help so that the convoy could pass through that area.”
But the convoy did not pass and like so many others it was looted by Serbian troops. Even UNHCR, the United Nations humanitarian aid agency that had been working in terrible conditions in other conflicts in different parts of the world, announced the total suspension of its operations in Bosnia. Sadako Ogata himself, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, announced in those days: …The Serbs refuse to allow our convoys access to besieged areas in eastern Bosnia, where there are 100,000 people, while the Croats make it difficult to distribute assistance in other areas.”
The end of the conflict
The war ends when the Dayton Accords are signed in Paris on December 14, 1995, where Milosevic, Izetbegobic and Tudman share the ashes and corpses after the conflict. As well as the territory.
There were nearly 200,000 murdered and more than 1,300,000 refugees and exiles, the vast majority of them Muslim. Before the conflict in that area, 90% of the population belonged to Muslim ethnic groups, after the conflict there was almost no one left.
When the UN troops arrived they found hundreds of mass graves and concentration camps whose photos show us that the state of the prisoners in no way envies the horror experienced in the Nazi extermination camps. A full-fledged horror that is barely talked about in some chronicles. Remember that about 320 United Nations soldiers also died. Between 20,000 and 40,000 Muslim women, whether adults or children, were raped by Serbian forces. This information led to mass rape being considered for the first time as a weapon of war to carry out ethnic and genocidal cleansing.
Seeing all that horror, the international criminal court decided to prosecute, among others, Radovan Karadzic in 1995 on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, with three charges of violations of the laws of war and a long etcetera. But he managed to escape with money, but above all with the help of many passionate believers who saw in him the leader who had managed to destroy the largest Muslim bastion in Europe. Which earned him the sympathy of far-right movements in many parts of the world. Until he was arrested in 2008 in England, where he worked as a doctor and alternative medicine expert, under the pseudonym Dragan Dabic.
The psychopathic psychiatrist
His knowledge and training as a doctor and psychiatrist allowed Radovan Karadzic to create an alter ego, a character called Dragan Dabic, and to be considered in his community. He even had a website. dragandavic.comfrom which and with a good-natured appearance, with white hair and a long beard of the same tone, he earned his living as an alternative doctor, treating patients and writing articles on alternative medicine in the magazine Healthy Life, whose director Goran Kogic, upon hearing the news, said: “Everyone would have wanted to be friends with the person I met.
Without a doubt, his fanaticism played a decisive role in one of the darkest periods of his life and also, according to many, accompanied by a certain psychopathy, since he went from caring for his elders to killing or ordering the killing of thousands of people.
In March 2016, the criminal court in The Hague sentenced him to 40 years in prison, although he was later sentenced to life in prison, because he was found guilty of genocide and war crimes between 1992 and 1995. When the sentence was handed down, on the outskirts At the International Court in The Hague there were hundreds of followers who organized riots, with police forces having to act forcefully to avoid major problems.
Author’s note:
In this chronicle where I have mixed the Balkan War and the figure of a radical Serbian politician and also a psychiatrist, I did not want to miss the opportunity to observe the religious radicalism that truly underlay this conflict. Sometimes when some parliaments in the world legislate in relation to new beliefs, as may be happening at the moment in some parliaments in the world, to decide whether they are sects or not, or how to act against them to avoid regrettable actions, they are not looked at. in excess of history and what the radical confrontations between great religions cause.
It would be convenient that, when talking about the issue of sects or the beliefs of others, it is done in an open way and not from the ideological perspective that produces our own belief. The conflict that arose in the 1990s in the Balkans is above all an ethnic-religious conflict. Different from what is happening right now in the Gaza Strip, for example. Something I will analyze another time.
For references to the Balkan War and Karadzic himself, I encourage readers to use Internet search engines to find all the information they consider. Likewise, look at the terrible photographs that you can find in different places about what happened in that conflict.
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Diana Kovacheva, published the Institution’s Eleventh Annual Report of the inspections in places of deprivation of liberty in 2023, carried out by the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) – the NPM is a specialized directorate under the Ombudsman, which monitors, checks and evaluates the observance of rights of the person in prisons, detention centers, homes for medico-social care for children, family-type accommodation centers for children and persons, psychiatry, homes for adults with disabilities, mental disorders and dementia, centers for migrants and refugees, etc.
Data from the report reveal that in 2023, the NPM team carried out 50 inspections in the listed places, sent a total of 129 recommendations to various government bodies and tracked the implementation of specific measures to improve the conditions in the places of accommodation, detention or suffering of imprisonment.
The observations and conclusions in 2023 continue to identify systemic problems, for which the institution has repeatedly alerted the responsible institutions, but despite this, there are practically no real and adequate solutions to date.
The problems of underfunding and the chronic shortage of personnel to ensure quality medical care and health care for persons in all categories of inspected facilities remain permanently unresolved. There is also a lack of budget funding for social activities in the places where punishments are served – the social work and reintegration of prisoners continues to be questionable for many of the prisons;
The report summarizes that over the past two years, the ombudsman has put the topic of protecting the rights of people with mental illnesses first and with particular sharpness.
It is reported that a total of 25 unannounced inspections were carried out in psychiatric facilities and residential social service centers in the period 2022-2023.
“In the sense of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe – State psychiatric hospitals (PSHs) are places of deprivation from freedom, as some of the patients are housed with court decisions and cannot voluntarily leave them. For this reason, the ombudsman, as the NPM, monitors with particular attention the prevention of torture and other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment in these places,” the report says .
It is also noted there that in the period from 2019 to 2022, the ombudsman as NPM repeatedly alerted the responsible authorities about the presence of chronic problems in state psychiatric hospitals, humiliating material living conditions, the chronic malnutrition of patients due to a wrong financing model were found , poor quality of medical care, lack of staffing and a sustainable policy to overcome it, including lack of social services to help reintegration of patients in the PSHs.
In this regard, the Ombudsman insists that a number of urgent measures be taken to prevent any possible form of degrading treatment or torture. First of all, to distinguish the act of “torture” as an independent crime, next – to engage in practices for effective control – on the basis of Art. 127, item 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria that the prosecutor’s office exercise regular supervision in the implementation of criminal and other coercive measures in all state psychiatric hospitals, because they are kept places of deprivation of liberty.
The ombudsman also recommends to update the legal framework of the procedure for applying measures of temporary physical restraint to patients with established mental disorders and to draw up a protocol for applying the coercive measures “immobilization” and “isolation”, in which it should be clearly noted with what duration and how often patients may be isolated and restrained (tied) in a 24-hour period, and to specify the grounds on which these measures are applied.
The report also insists on expanding the possibilities for civil control through the mandatory inclusion of a person with a legal education and a representative of a human rights non-governmental organization in the composition of the Commission for Oversight of the Implementation of Temporary Physical Restraint Measures, as well as unifying the method of financing for all healthcare facilities for inpatient treatment, being bound by the quality of the healthcare service provided.
The report also describes the worst case of torture since the beginning of the Ombudsman’s mandate as NPM. This is the fire that occurred on October 2, 2023 in the State Psychiatric Hospital – Lovech, in which a patient died. The young man who died in a fire in the isolation ward of the Lovech psychiatric hospital, f. e. was sentenced to lie down in the isolation ward for 9 hours, 6 of them tied up. According to the ombudsman, Diana Kovacheva, this measure is torture. She insists on special supervision of the investigation by the prosecutor’s office. And also to monitor all coercive measures in psychiatry, to change the regulation on isolation.The ombudsman’s inspection there highlighted numerous weaknesses in the system for providing quality psychiatric care and protection for the mentally ill. For example – deficits in the legal framework and practices for implementing measures for temporary physical restraint of persons in the PSHs, the lack of effective mechanisms for control by state institutions, as well as chronic problems with the quality of psychiatric care provided due to insufficient funding of the activity.
Another focus of the NPM report is related to deficits regarding the rights of children in conflict with the law.
It also indicates that in every annual report of the NPM, the recommendation is invariably made to close boarding schools and introduce modern and effective measures to work with child offenders, which include restorative justice and preventive work, as well as the creation of a protective social system. with a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) regarding children in conflict with the law.
In this regard, the report describes that in 2023 teams of the ombudsman from the NPM and Children’s Rights Directorates carried out three joint inspections in Educational Boarding Schools (EBS) and Social and Pedagogical Boarding Schools (SPBS) to assess the availability or the lack of progress on the Third Thematic Report on the Rights of Children Placed in Higher Education Institutions and Higher Education Institutions.
“As a result of the systemic pressure of the ombudsman, four boarding schools were closed, such as the one in the village of Dragodanovo, municipality of Sliven. The number of children housed in the remaining three has decreased to 88 children. Most of the children are victims of circumstances in their lives – poverty , lack of normal housing conditions, separated parents and/or those who are economic emigrants abroad The material base is in a bad state, regardless of the partial repairs being carried out The investment of resources (financial, technical and human) in the system of EBSs and SPBSs is inexpedient. The efforts of the authorities should be fully focused on the rapid closure of these institutions and the creation of a protective social system including a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) in relation to children who are in conflict with the law,” the report added.
There, it is recalled that in the Third Thematic Report on the Rights of Children Placed in Higher Education Institutions and Secondary Education Institutions, a series of chronic vices were found, that Higher Education Institutions and Secondary Education Institutions do not meet international standards, because they are from the so-called “barrack type buildings” with common sleeping quarters, bathrooms, toilets. And the children housed in them not only do not have access to quality education and medical care, but also their relatives cannot visit them due to the remoteness of the institutions and the lack of funds. In addition, educational measures bear the characteristics of criminal repression, i.e. their educational effect is to impose a sanction or restriction. The absence of subsequent periodical judicial control and provision of legal assistance to the children placed in connection with the educational measures imposed on them was noted.
Among the other problems mentioned is the fact that the applicable legislation does not allow minors placed in an educational center – boarding school to apply to the judicial authorities to request a review of their detention. As well as that in the internal law of Bulgaria there is no periodic and automatic check in relation to the detention in question.
In the Eleventh Report of the Ombudsman as NPM for another year, it is emphasized that the adoption of a national policy and strategy for children’s justice with a long-term horizon is necessary. As well as that the efforts of the authorities should be fully focused on the rapid closure of institutions for children in conflict with the law and the creation of a protected social system that includes a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) in relation to these children.
“The recommendation for the need to take effective legislative actions for the transposition into the NPC of Directive 2016/800/ of the EU on procedural guarantees for children who are suspects or accused in criminal proceedings,” the ombudsman also states.
In 2023, the NPM will carry out a total of 3 planned and 11 unannounced inspections in social institutions for children and adults.
Again, the ombudsman’s recommendation is to speed up the process of deinstitutionalisation of aged care, because the long-term residence of disabled people in institutions violates basic human rights, and the homes themselves can be defined as places of deprivation of liberty.
The report points out another worrying fact – the presence of seven institutions with a capacity of more than 100 people (one with 228), located at a great distance from municipal centers and hospitals, with a lack of specialists to take care of them.
“At the moment, only 9 homes for people with mental retardation, mental disorders and dementia have been closed. Once again, it has been established that the homes do not meet any criteria for providing quality social service for people with disabilities. The attitude towards the housed people and their staying there is not only bad and humiliating, but their basic human rights are violated,” the report said. Namely, the right to free movement and contacts with the outside world; of quality psychological and medical care; of personal space and quality sanitary and living conditions, as well as the right to individual care.
The Ombudsman has once again noted the apparent lack of will and vision to move residential care services into the community. Instead, the opposite trend is observed – the material base in these institutions remains the same, they are at a great distance from the municipal center, often the accompanying infrastructure is rebuilt with minimal funds to create sheltered housing and family-type accommodation centers. This leads to the practice of new services being actually located in the same building or in the yard of the respective residential service.
The report draws attention to the fact that in 2023, the trend for a large volume of inspections in the places of serving sentences for the Ministry of Justice continues.
“At the end of October 2022, the report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment from its eighth visit to Bulgaria was published. The Committee points out as current and essential the problems related to violence between prisoners, the unsatisfactory conditions in prisons and detention centers in the country, the mass spread of bed bugs and cockroaches, as well as the lack of meaningful and constructive activities for those deprived of their liberty. The above findings are also confirmed by the inspections carried out by the Ombudsman in his capacity as NPM in 2023, which clearly demonstrates the continuing need to reform penal policy in the penitentiary system,” the report said.
It is emphasized that the general critical finding in this sector continues to be the lack of an effective solution to several basic problems, namely – systemic deficits in the medical care of prisoners; continuing deficits with depreciated bedding inventory; the unresolved problems with the presence of cockroaches, bedbugs and other pests in places of deprivation of liberty, etc.
Another emphasis in the report is the protection of the rights of persons detained in the accommodation facilities of the Ministry of the Interior. In 2023, a total of 2,509 such persons were covered in the inspections.
The implementation of the recommendations made in 2022 in relation to the rights of minors and persons seeking or denied international protection was checked.
In 2023, the ombudsman carried out inspections in four premises for the accommodation of detained persons in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was found there that the material living conditions continue to be poor, with little access to daylight and a depreciated material base.
And in 2023, in his capacity as NPM, the ombudsman will carry out inspections in the centers for temporary accommodation of foreigners under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and in the centers for the accommodation of refugees under the State Agency for Refugees (SRA) under the Council of Ministers. The main focus of each inspection is an assessment of the conditions under which unaccompanied minors live and the forms of support provided.
The checks found that for 2023, according to statistics of the SRA, 5,702 applications for international protection were submitted by unaccompanied minors. Of these, 3,843 are from unaccompanied children, and 1,416 from minors. 2023 49 unaccompanied children are accommodated in social service centers.
“It is also worrying that too often unaccompanied children disappear from the SRA’s open-type accommodation centers under the Council of Ministers, within a week or two, continuing their way to Western Europe through organized and costly illegal refugee channels,” the ombudsman emphasized in the Annual report.
He draws attention to the fact that inspections in 2023 also found an increasing number of unaccompanied minors in conditions of permanently unresolved basic problems. For example – the ombudsman’s recommendation from 2022 has not been implemented and the Registration and reception center – Harmanli continues to not have a safe zone for unaccompanied minors and minors seeking international protection. The relevance of the recommendation for the introduction of a systematic policy for the protection and integration of unaccompanied minors continues. The ombudsman points out that it is necessary to evaluate the possible measures to ensure protection and support for unaccompanied minors who have received status through integration in the community and if they do not wish to be placed in residential social care.
In 2023, the ombudsman monitored the implementation of 33 coercive administrative measures on return to the country of origin, country of transit or third country and expulsion.
The monitoring teams found systemic problems when checking the personal files of foreigners – continuing the practice of under-completion of the documentation, especially regarding the appeal of orders to impose coercive administrative measures; missing evidence that the foreign citizens are aware of the content of the orders issued to them to impose coercive administrative measures, as well as their right to appeal it in accordance with the Code of Administrative Procedure; the lack of evidence that foreign nationals accommodated in the Special homes for temporary accommodation of foreigners are aware of their right to receive legal assistance and that they have met with lawyers who consulted them and informed them of their rights and legal options, etc.
Photo: Diana Kovacheva / Press center of the ombudsman
The answer is given by the Fathers of the Church, to whom we always turn and in whom we find the answer, regardless of when they lived.
St. Simeon of Thessalonica speaks of six things which the candle symbolizes, referring to the pure candle, viz. – the waxy one. He says she depicts:
1) the purity of our soul,
2) the flexibility of our soul, which we must shape according to the evangelical commandments,
3) the fragrance of God’s Grace, which should emanate from every soul, like the sweet smell of a candle,
4) as when the real wax in the candle mixes with the fire, burns and nourishes it, so the soul, burned by God’s love, gradually reaches deification,
5) Christ’s light,
6) the love and peace that reign in the Christian and become a signpost for others.
St. Nicodemus of Athos also talks about six symbols and reasons why we light candles:
1) to glorify God who is Light: “I am the Light of the world” (John, 8:12),
2) to dispel the darkness of the night and drive away the fear it brings,
3) to express the inner joy of our soul,
4) to honor our saints, imitating the ancient Christians who lit candles on the graves of the martyrs,
5) to depict our good deeds according to Christ’s words “let your light shine before men” (Matt. 5:16a),
6) to forgive the sins of those who light the candles and of those for whom they are lit.
A flame comes out of the candle and the flame emits light. Light is the main element in our services. We are called to become light as He is Light. During the pre-sanctified Holy Liturgy, the officiating priest turns to the faithful with a lighted candle in his hand and says: “The light of Christ enlightens everyone.” During the monastic haircut, the abbot holds a lighted candle and says again “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” (Mat 5:16), but also at the end of the Holy Liturgy we sing “having seen the true light”. Our Lord constantly calls us to become Light with our lives, with our words and deeds. This means that lighting candles should not be just some routine or mechanical action, but should become an important part of our search for God and our communication with Him.
Photo by Zenia: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lighted-candles-11533/
Years ago, Bulgaria was one of the biggest producers of wine in the world, but now it has been losing its position for almost 2 decades. This is the main conclusion of the initial analysis of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BCC).
Since 1961, the country has been among the first 15 countries-excellents according to this indicator, which in 1975 took even the fourth place in the world classification. Unfortunately, due to the general trends over the last 20 years and until 2007, our company lost its position in this category every year. The fact that the Bulgarian export of wine is decreasing is supported by the customs tariff item 2204 Wine from the nest, according to the data of the world foreign trade data.
For the period between 2003 and 2022, the EU countries increase the quantity of imported wine by 50%. The number of Slovakia is more than 3 times, and that of Hungary is almost 2 times. North Macedonia now exports nearly 4 times more wine than Bulgaria.
It means that Bulgaria in particular has seven times less quantity for 2022 for this twentieth year period. The Bulgarian share of the total EU27 exports from 2.3% in 2005 will drop to 0.2% in 2022. As a result, Bulgarian wine exports will decrease from 86.5 million EUR in 2007 to 16.8 million EUR in 2022.
For the period 2007-2022, EU27 exports increased from EUR 14.9 billion to EUR 27.8 billion, or almost doubled.
“This comprehensive analysis of the data on Bulgarian wine exports and those of the Balkan countries and the entire EU shows that the main reason for the native Bulgarian wine in the last 20 years and it is in the cams of the nac, and not in the world ĸconjunĸtypa. , problems that farmers in Bulgaria are currently facing, are not the most important reasons for the existence of the Bulgarian wine production and export, because even those outside the EU, that North Macedonia and Serbia not only keep their security positions, but also “Bulgaria obviously needs immediate and radical political, economic and radical changes”, writes Borislav Geopgiev, an expert on foreign affairs at BCC, in a comment.
