Call for Renewed Commitment to Human Rights

in the Fight against Terrorism

Sofia 17 November 2006. A seminar organized by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), in cooperation with the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) and the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT), in Sofia today called for renewed commitment to international human rights standards in the fight against terrorism.

The seminar, which was organized in connection with the 2006 General Assembly meeting of the IHF, examined two major trends of concern in the regions of Europe, Central Asia and North America: counter-terrorism measures undermining the absolute ban on torture as well as the impact of counter-terrorism efforts on Muslim communities.

“The campaign against terrorism waged in the aftermath of September 11 has harmed the human rights cause in numerous and profound ways,” said Ulrich Fischer, IHF President and moderator of the event. “Among other developments, the fight against terrorism has been used as an excuse to circumvent fundamental principles established by international law and efforts to enhance security have – directly and indirectly – contributed to stigmatizing minority communities,” he continued.

The absolute prohibition against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is one of the most fundamental human rights principles and a core element of the international human rights protection system established following World War II. In the aftermath of the September 11 events, this principle has been openly challenged in ways previously unseen. With reference to national security interests, governments have questioned the absolute nature of the ban on torture, sought to redefine the limits of what constitutes proscribed treatment and justified the use of abusive practices prohibited by international law. This trend has involved both established democracies and less democratic states, with the former calling for a rethinking of old rules in the face of the threat of terrorism, and the latter exploiting the counter-terrorism campaign to reinforce longstanding abusive policies against political and other opponents.

“The global struggle against torture has suffered a serious setback because of developments related to the ongoing campaign against terrorism, and it is now more important than ever that international and national mechanisms set up to monitor compliance with international standards on torture are granted adequate financial and other resources to carry out their work,” stated Therese Rytter, Programme Manager and Legal Advisor of the RCT who spoke at the event. ”In this context, wide ratification and effective implementation of the Optional

Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture, which provides for a new and unprecedented system of complementary visits to places of detention by international and national monitoring bodies, is a major objective” she pointed out.

The September 11 attacks, and subsequent terrorist attacks purportedly perpetrated in the name of Islam, have not only caused widespread public fear and anger but also contributed to growing suspicion and hostility against those perceived to be associated with the perpetrators. In the post-September 11 period, when the threat of so-called “Islamic extremism” has been given broad attention in public debate, pre-existing prejudice against Muslims has been reinforced in many European and North American societies and Muslims have increasingly faced hostility, discrimination and physical attacks. Political rhetoric and action on security issues have contributed to growing vulnerability of Muslims in these countries. Meanwhile, Central Asian governments have continued and expanded repressive policies against Muslim groups accused of advocating extremist views and engaged in new crack-downs on alleged extremists without making any distinction between those who endorse violence and those who peacefully exercise their beliefs in ways protected by international law.

“In order to prevent further marginalization and alienation of Muslim communities, it is essential that Western governments engage in more determined efforts to enforce non-discrimination legislation, foster tolerance and promote integration,” stressed Krassimir Kanev, Chair of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee who was among the seminar panelists. “They must also make more effective use of their political leverage to push the Central Asian states, and other countries of the former Soviet Union, to comply with international human rights obligations in their efforts to combat religious extremism,” he added.

Other speakers at the seminar included Gerald Staberock, Director of Global Security and the Rule of Law Programme of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ); Karinna Moskalenko, Head of the International Protection Centre (Russia) and ICJ Commissioner; and Tin Gazivoda, Coordinator of the Human Rights Center (Croatia) and Member of the Executive Committee of the Croatian Helsinki Committee.

For more information:

Henriette Schroeder, IHF Press Officer, Tel: +43-676-7254829

The IHF is an international NGO constituted by 46 national Helsinki Committees and Cooperating Organizations in Europe, Central Asia and North America. The IHF seeks to promote compliance with the human rights provisions of the OSCE Helsinki Final Act and its Follow-up Documents, with international legal obligations undertaken in the Council of Europe and the United Nations, and with human rights norms promoted by the European Union. The IHF mandate is to protect and strengthen civil society groups that monitor and report on human rights issues from a non-partisan perspective, and to bring them together on a common international platform. The IHF represents its affiliates on the international political level and in the media, supports and assists their human rights monitoring and advocacy activities, and disseminates documentation based on their research.