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Democracy, human rights in Europe at its lowest since Cold War – Council of Europe head ― RT News

The rule of law in Europe is going through its most severe crisis since the Cold War, a report by the continent’s top human rights and democracy watchdog warns.

Most of the European countries are facing “very worrying” challenges to human rights, democracies and the rule of law, Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, wrote in the report.

These problems paved the way for the current crisis in Ukraine, which is in a state of turmoil since ousted President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a right-wing coup in February, the report said.

“In Ukraine, the absence of an independent judiciary and lack of the checks and balances which a functioning parliament and free media should provide, allowed endemic corruption and misuse of power to thrive unchecked. This caused mistrust, social unrest and ultimately a revolution,” Jagland wrote.