Ombudsman withdraws his membership of EOI

On Friday, September 16, ombudsman Juris Jansons sent a letter to the European Ombudsman Institute (EOI), announcing his withdrawal from the organisation.

The main reason for this step is the organisation’s dubious attitude towards the Russian Federation and its long-lasting military activities in Ukraine, as well as its continued cooperation with the National High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation’s Tatyana Moskalkova.

“It is not acceptable for me to be a member and board member of an organization that does not have a clear and firm position in relation to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Moreover, the fact that the Russian human rights commissioner is still allowed to participate in the organisation is beyond any criticism. As a human rights defender, it is important for me to take a stance at the European level, so I call on other ombudsmen to evaluate their participation in the organisation. Otherwise, the EOI is only a prop for human rights defenders,” says J. Jansons.