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European Official
Warns That Human Rights Being Abused In War On Terror
Europe's top human rights official warned Thursday that
governments around the world are continuing to use the fight against
terror to overstep the boundaries of democracy.
Alvaro Gil-Robles, Council of Europe commissioner for human rights,
singled out Britain for introducing emergency legislation to hold
foreign terror suspects without charge and the United States for its
detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"Across Europe and throughout the world, governments are taking
steps that overstep the limits ... on the pretext of the fight
against terror," Gil-Robles said at a news conference in central
London.
"It is my conviction that democracy and the democratic system is
itself a strong system. Its strength is conditional on society being
able to place its faith in its fundamental values."
"It is clear that terrorism cannot be combated effectively in the
long term by weakening the guarantees of the rule of law."
Gil-Robles said he stood by his earlier comments that Britain was
not justified in its decision to opt out of Article 5 of the
European Convention on Human Rights to introduce the internment
powers.
"The government has its own opinion and I have my own," Gil-Robles
said. "Those two opinions are different."
The House of Lords is currently considering an appeal by nine
detainees over the legality of their internment.
Lord Falconer, secretary of state for constitutional affairs, said
Britain regarded its approach to terrorism as "completely in line
with the commitment to the rule of law."
Opting out from the human rights convention was "necessary and
justified," he added.
Gil-Robles also criticized the use of stop-and-search powers by
British police, saying it was clear that Britain's South Asians
suffered more from these laws than other communities.
Turning to the United States, Gil-Robles said the camp at Guantanamo
Bay "is the clearest example of what must not be done to fight
against terrorism."
"I believe we have given the terrorists victory in the first battle,
in as much as we have lost faith in our own system and our
guarantees," he said.
"I believe that is an extremely negative message to give, because
this is not true."
Gil-Robles praised Spain's attempts to fight terrorism, which he
said were both effective and within the rule of law."
Gil-Robles is in Britain for a week to examine government's human
rights record. He is scheduled to meet with Home Secretary David
Blunkett and the most senior judge in England and Wales, Lord Woolf.
He also will inspect the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast
London, where many of the foreign nationals detained under emergency
anti-terror powers are held.
Gil-Robles will prepare a report on his findings by January, which
will be submitted to the Council of Europe and the British
government. However, he has no powers to enforce his
recommendations.
Source: Associated Press
Date: November 11, 2004
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