New UK terror bill endangers basic rights - human rights group
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Jan 24, IRNA
UK Terror Law-Human Rights
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Thursday called on MPs to reject British government plans to detain terrorism suspects for up to six weeks without charge, warning that it violates fundamental rights and risks alienating British Muslims.
"Setting aside basic rights is the wrong answer to terrorism, yet the government is still determined to hold suspects for six weeks without charge," said Benjamin Ward, HRW associate Europe and Central Asia director.
"Parliament should reject the government's latest attempt to push back the limits of pre-charge detention," Ward said.
The bill, which is the sixth major counter terrorism legislation since 2000, would give the home secretary temporary authority to extend pre-charge detention to 42 days in terrorism cases.
HRW pointed out that a broad spectrum of experts, including Director of Public Prosecution Sir Ken MacDonald, the current and former attorneys-general, and the Parliamentary Joint Human Rights Committee, see no case for an extension beyond 28 days.
It said the that the current limit, which only came into force a year ago, already violates human rights law and is "the longest by far in the European Union, and significantly longer than the permissible period in the United States and Canada."
Ward criticised the government's claim that the new power to detain would subject to strong judicial safeguards as not standing up.
"Only the courts can effectively review detention, and judicial scrutiny in the bill remains wholly inadequate," he warned.
The Muslim Council of Britain has also told the government that any extension of pre-charge detention is likely to be counterproductive, and damaging to the battle of hearts and minds that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has identified as crucial.
"Six weeks of detention without charge isn't the way to win hearts and minds," the HRW director said.
"The bill creates a significant risk of unjust extended detention, undermining community relations in Britain and the UK's image abroad," he said.
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