This month has been a bad one for the cause of human rights in Europe, as Serbia was allowed to begin its six-month presidency of the Council of Europe, the Continent's oldest political body.
With Serbia at the helm, the Council, which aims to promote human rights and the rule of law, is now overseen by a state that thumbs its nose at the Genocide Convention and harbors an indicted war-crimes suspect, former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic.
Moreover, the European Commission has indicated that it is ready to resume talks aimed at bringing Serbia closer to the European Union as soon as a reform-oriented government is formed in Belgrade.