Overview
- Council of Europe ministers adopted the political declaration in Chișinău on Friday, setting common guidance on Articles 3 and 8 without changing the Convention’s text.
- On Article 3, governments reaffirmed the absolute ban on torture and inhuman or degrading treatment while urging courts to judge the minimum severity threshold in its full context.
- On Article 8, the text says states may expel foreign nationals when the public interest is at stake, and it tells the European Court of Human Rights to require strong reasons to override national decisions.
- The declaration endorses cooperation with third countries, including use of return hubs for rejected asylum seekers, provided those arrangements respect Convention standards.
- The UK led the push, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Attorney General Richard Hermer at the talks, while rights groups and legal scholars warned the move could dilute safeguards and may have limited effect on court rulings.