From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Feb 17 2009 - 07:22:10 EST
US blasted for human rights violations
Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:54:19 GMT
Anti-terror measures by the US and the UK have seriously damaged the
standing of international human rights laws, a study reveals.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said in its recent report
that human rights violations committed in anti-terror efforts worldwide
have been shocking.
The report, based on a three-year global study, declares that many
measures employed in the fight against terrorism after the 9/11 attacks
on the US were illegal and counter-productive.
"In the course of this inquiry, we have been shocked by the extent of
the damage done over the past seven years by excessive or abusive
counter-terrorism measures in a wide range of countries around the
world," said ICJ member Arthur Chaskalson.
The report says that since 9/11 many countries have sought detention
without trial, illegal disappearance and torture to provoke public fear
of anti-terror measures.
The ICJ also took a swipe at Britain and the US, affirming that the two
countries have "actively undermined" international law with their
anti-terror efforts.
The report which covers over 40 countries urges countries to seek
'change', affirming that the legal processes implemented after World War
II were "well-equipped to handle current terror threats".
"It is now absolutely essential that all states restore their commitment
to human rights and that the United Nations takes on a leadership role
in this process. If we fail to act now, the damage to international law
risks becoming permanent," reads the report.
According to the report, US President Barack Obama must move to close
the Guantanamo Bay detention camp as soon as possible in a "human rights
compliant manner", with inmates either charged or released.
The Geneva-based ICJ, which is a non-governmental organization promoting
the observance of the rule of law and the legal protection of human
rights, bases its report Assessing Damage, Urging Action on the
experiences of people who have undergone torture in secret prisons and
those held for extended periods without access to the external world,
including lawyers and courts.
HE/AA
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=85898
<http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=85898§ionid=3510203>
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