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Předseda vojenského výboru NATO je druhým nejvýše postaveným člověkem v rámci Severoatlantické aliance, hned po generálním tajemníkovi. Mezi lety 2015 a 2018 tuto pozici zastával armádní generál Petr Pavel. Stal se tak prvním zástupcem země bývalé Varšavské smlouvy v této funkci. Jak probíhalo jeho působení v organizaci a co v současnosti považuje za bezpečnostní hrozby pro Českou republiku? 

Mohl byste na úvod čtenářům přiblížit Vaši konkrétní pozici v NATO?

NATO je striktně politicko-vojenská organizace, a tomu odpovídá i to, že tyto dva pilíře jsou zdánlivě paralelní a na sobě nezávislé, i když se na mnoha úrovních propojují. Ve vojenské části je na vrcholu „pyramidy“ kolektivní orgán, tzv. vojenský výbor. Tomu předsedá předseda vojenského výboru, který je vždy volen z náčelníků generálních štábů.

Přestože se v posledních letech vedou veřejné debaty o rovných příležitostech žen a mužů, problému domácího násilí a násilí na ženách není nadále ze strany veřejnosti věnováno příliš pozornosti. Silné emoce naopak vzbuzuje Istanbulská úmluva Rady Evropy, kterou Česká republika podepsala roku 2016, dodnes ji však neratifikovala. O tom, co by její ratifikace přinesla právě v oblasti domácího násilí a násilí na ženách, diskutovali v Brně zástupci vládního a neziskového sektoru. 

Oběti domácího násilí v České republice

Česká republika zůstává vedle Maďarska, Slovenska nebo Moldavska jedním z posledních členů Rady Evropy, kteří Istanbulskou úmluvu neratifikovali. Ačkoliv profesorka Helena Válková, vládní zmocněnkyně pro lidská práva, její ratifikaci prosazuje, je podle ní důležité věnovat dostatečný čas a pozornost veřejné debatě. A to tak dlouho, jak to bude společnost potřebovat. K tomu má přispět právě série odborných besed pořádaných po České republice ve spolupráci s místními neziskovými či akademickými organizacemi. 

A controversial law that prohibits clothing that "covers the face" from being worn in schools, hospitals, other public buildings and public transport, came into effect in the Netherlands at the beginning of August 2019. The Netherlands, therefore, became the most recent EU country to prohibit face-covering clothing in public buildings. The first country which launched similar legislative measures was France, in 2011.

The so-called Burqa Ban Act, which was passed in June of last year, is a result of 14 years of public debate on the subject. It covers the ban of wearing burqas and the niqab (two main symbols of Islamic religious dress), as well as other coverings such as ski masks, motor helmets or balaclavas in public buildings and public transport. In case of violation, there is a penalty of a 150 euro fine. The rule is partial, it does not apply to people wearing face coverings in the street (unlike more extensive bans in France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria and Denmark).

Eight people were convicted in July 2019 in the biggest modern slavery prosecution case in the United Kingdom, following an investigation that took three years. Five men and three women, all members of a Polish gang, enslaved and exploited more than 400 people. 

The trial took place in Birmingham, with over 60 witnesses providing evidence against the prosecuted. The case was separated into two trials, the first of which already took place in February and five people were sentenced. The second trial, which concluded in July, saw another three men sentenced to prison. Seven of the eight traffickers were also convicted of money laundering.

For the past few weeks there have been numerous demonstrations filling the streets of Hong Kong. The police suppressed the demonstrators using a high level of violence in an attempt to calm the situation. Why are the citizens of Hong Kong assembling and what initiated the protests?

2019 Hong Kong Extradition Bill

The Extradition Bill [1] is an amended bill proposed by the government of Hong Kong in January 2019. The bill shall fix the legal loopholes that enables criminals to safely stay in the city. However, it simultaneously proposes a threat to the “one country, two systems”, since it leaves citizens of Hong Kong and those passing through the city vulnerable to possible trial (possibly unfair) in front of the courts of Mainland China, which are controlled by the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The term “Free World” grew in prominence during the Cold War to describe the Western Bloc. Over time it has been associated more with the US due to the US being considered the main democratic superpower and therefore, the leader of democratic states throughout the world. However, if one examines recent trends, it seems the US no longer meets this standard.

The “Free World,” more generally being associated with Western states, has democratic values at its core. One of the key democratic values is respect for fundamental human rights. However, in order to be a leader of the “Free World,” the state (or amalgamation of states in the case of the US) should not only protect these fundamental human rights but also drive them forward at an accelerating pace, both internationally and domestically.

In her final report of June 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, published her findings about the murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, committed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. Based on her investigation, Callamard affirms that there is credible evidence of the involvement of the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and other high-ranking officials in the killing and calls for opening an independent international inquiry.

In June, the UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard submitted to the Human Rights Council her long-awaited report summarising her findings on the murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. The report is divided into two documents. First, a formal summary submitted to the Human Rights Council for its 41st regular session which took place in Geneva between 24 June and 12 July. Second, a one-hundred page annex to the report discussing detailed factual and legal findings of the UN Special Rapporteur. Drawing upon evidence collected mainly during Callamard’s mission to Turkey, her investigation brought to light several novel facts about Khashoggi’s death.