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ROME (AP) \u2014 The Council of Europe on Saturday defended the independence of the European Court of Human Rights, after nine member states<\/a> said its interpretation of rights obligations prevented them from expelling migrants<\/a> who commit crimes.<\/p>\n The leaders of Denmark, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in a joint letter made public Thursday called for a \u201cnew and open-minded conversation\u201d about how the court interprets the European Convention on Human Rights.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir concern centres on rulings in the field of migration,\u201d Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset said in a statement. \u201cThese are complex challenges, and democracies must always remain open to reflection through the appropriate institutional avenues.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Berset stressed that the European Court of Human Rights \u201cis not an external body\u201d but the legal arm of the Council of Europe, and is “bound by a Convention that all 46 members have freely signed and ratified.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt exists to protect the rights and values they committed to defend,\u201d he said. \u201cUpholding the independence and impartiality of the Court is our bedrock.\u201d<\/p>\n He warned against politicizing the court.<\/p>\n The nine European leaders said the court\u2019s interpretation of the convention in cases concerning the expulsion of “criminal foreign nationals\u201d has protected the \u201cwrong people\u201d and placed too many limits on deciding who can be expelled.<\/p>\n The Council of Europe is not an EU institution and was set up in the wake of the Second World War to promote peace and democracy.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Follow AP\u2019s global migration coverage at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/migration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n