Brussels, 02/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - EU member states are denying justice to people who have suffered human rights abuses, according to the Amnesty International (AI) report on the human rights situation in the world. The report, published at the end of May, shows that the EU and its member states are clearly responsible for human rights abuses, within its borders and in foreign policy. “European leaders portray the European Union as a beacon of human rights but reality shows that serious human rights abuses within its borders contradict this rhetoric”, deplored Nicolas Beger, Director of Amnesty International's EU office. The participation of EU member states in extraordinary rendition by the CIA and in the secret detention programme is one of the most striking examples of this. However, there are other failings also, the NGO points out, such as the expulsion of potential asylum seekers and the systematic discrimination of Roma in Europe. Another question that gives cause for concern is Germany's refusal to support the European anti-discrimination directive. There are also clear failings in EU foreign policy, AI states, pointing for example to the EU's weak and incoherent position after the publication of the Goldstone report, which denounces war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas during the war in Gaza. “The EU has an impressive toolbox of human rights instruments at its disposal as well as a thorough legislation that guarantees the protection of human rights. Unfortunately, both the EU and its member states fail to apply some of them both internally and externally, creating an accountability gap inside the EU and in its foreign policy that can lead to human rights abuses”, Beger concludes. (B.C./transl.jl)