Advocacy

You will find here the most important advocacy opportunities at the European and international
levels through which civil society actors can have a stronger impact on prison policies across
the continent. This page is updated monthly.

If you want to work on a common initiative related to one or several topics listed below, please contact us at community@prisonlitigation.org


UNITED NATIONS


60th session 8 September – 8 October 2025

The draft programme of work includes interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, reparation and guarantee of non-recurrence, the Working Group on enforced disappearances, the Working Group on arbitrary detention, the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus, the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, the Special Rapporteur on Russia.

The Council will also adopt UPR conclusions in respect of Armenia, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye.

>> NGOs in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) can be accredited to participate as observers. See details on the session here and on NGO participation here.

52nd session 4 – 15 May 2026

The UPR working Group will review Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia.

>> Submit by 10 October 2025. See details on the session here and on NGO participation here.

83rd session 10 – 28 November 2025

The CAT will consider the State report submitted by Albania.

>> Submit by 13 October 2025. See details on the session here and on NGO participation here.

79th session 9 February – 6 March 2026

The CESCR will consider the State reports submitted by Austria and Georgia as well as the Lithuania‘s follow-up report. It will also adopt a list of issues in respect of Slovakia.

>> Submit by 28 November 2025 for lists of issues; by 13 January 2026 for State and follow-up reports. See details on the session here.

145th session 2 – 19 March 2026

The HRCttee will consider the State report submitted by Andorra, Moldova and Slovakia. It will also adopt a list of issues prior to reporting in respect of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic and Hungary and will consider Ukraine under the follow-up procedure.

>> Submit by 1 December 2025 for the follow-up procedure; by 5 January 2026 for LOIPR; by 2 February 2026 for State reports. See details on the session here


COUNCIL OF EUROPE


Country visits Latvia, Hungary

The Department will visit Latvia on 8 – 9 October 2025 and Hungary on 19 – 21 November 2025.

>> NGOs are encouraged to contact the department ahead of visits. See calendar of visits here.

1545th DH meeting 2 – 4 December 2025

The CMCE will review the implementation of the following ECtHR judgments relating to prisoners’ rights:

  • Italy | Detention in ordinary prison of persons mentally ill (Sy v. Italy, no. 11791/20, 24 January 2022); lack of comprehensive and updated medical evaluation of compatibility of their health condition with detention and failure to protect their right to life (Citraro and Molino v. Italy, no. 50988/13, 4 June 2020).
  • Netherlands | De facto irreducibility of life sentence imposed on prisoner suffering from mental illness (Murray v. the Netherlands, no. 10511/10, 26 April 2016).
  • Romania | Overcrowding and poor conditions of detention; lack of an effective remedy in that regard; inadequacy of medical care and several other dysfunctions regarding the protection of prisoners’ rights (Bragadireanu v. Romania, no. 22088/04, 6 December 2007 and Rezmiveș v. Romania, no. 61467/12, 25 April 2017).
  • Russia | Multiple, flagrant and unprecedented Convention violations in Ukraine, caused by numerous administrative practices by Russia starting from 2014 until September 2022 (Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, no. 8019/16, 9 July 2025).
  • Slovakia | Inadequate legal protection against abuse and limited safeguards related to the imposition of a high security regime on a prisoner (Maslák v. Slovakia (no. 2), no. 38321/17, 21 March 2022).
  • Türkiye | Failure to provide medical treatment suited to prison environment to prisoners with mental disorder (Gömi v. Türkiye, no. 38704/11, 19 February 2019)
  • Ukraine | Various violations related to lack of adequate medical treatment in detention and lack of effective remedies (Logvinenko v. Ukraine, no. 41203/16, 16 May 2019, Isayev v. Ukraine, no. 28827/02, 28 May 2009 and Kats v. Ukraine, no. 29971/04, 12 December 2008)

>> Submit preferably by 14 October 2025. See full list of cases here.

Country visits Azerbaijan, Germany, Montenegro

The CPT has announced it will visit the following countries in 2025: Azerbaijan, Germany and Montenegro.

>> NGOs are invited to contact the Committee ahead of the visits. See the list of visits here.


EUROPEAN UNION


Call for evidence Multiannual financial framework

The Commission is seeking input on its communication on the EU’s next long-term budget (2028-2034), including on EU funding for civil society.

>> Submit by 22 October 2025. See details here.

Call for evidence EU Anti-poverty Strategy

The Commission is seeking input for its Anti-Poverty Strategy.

>> Submit by 24 October 2025. See details here.

European Prison Litigation Network
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