Brussels, 07/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) sounded the alarm on 2 March about the European Convention draft on the prevention of terrorism contravening European human rights law. Shocked by a number of aspects in this draft, the FIDH is calling on the Council of Europe to revise the whole text. The FIDH says that a number of simple adjustments would be insufficient. It is particularly hostile to the vague nature of most of the text provisions on guaranteeing good cooperation between countries in prevention and in a much wider sense, terrorism. The organisation meets in Strasbourg and includes 46 Member States, including Russia. However, it appears to be determined to use its opportunity to expand further than its traditional domains: human rights, democracy, law, culture, education and the environment. In these conditions, it does not intend to revise its draft, which is expected to be submitted to permanent representatives for adoption in its present state at the end of March. The objective remains the signing of this text at the Summit of the Council of Europe in mid-May in Warsaw. Similarly to other organisations (apart from the EU, NATO, and the OSCE, the Council of Europe is the only organisation that is able to produce conventions for European Member States, Russia and the USA), the Council of Europe will have therefore provided proof that it is able to contribute to the war on terrorism.
The FIDH points out that in a number of European countries, including Russia, with the significant consequences this produces, the fight against terrorism is not being carried out in respect of human rights. The FIDH also underlines that the conventions adopted by the Council of Europe should act as a rampart against any abuse of human rights. The major problem identified in the text is that often it incriminates the intentions rather than the initial action and that it defines terrorism as an “action that seeks to intimidate” people or an authority”. With the exception of the odd reference to the European Convention of Human Rights and the reminder of the outlawing of torture, the text remains silent about standards that have to be applied in respect for fundamental freedoms.
The current text contains the embryo of possible excesses that could seriously harm fundamental human rights, instead of responding to the need of protecting citizens, affirms the FIDH, which also expresses its concern at the refusal of the committee (CODEXTER in charge of drafting the text: Editor's note) to link itself with the work of the NGOs and national human rights associations. The FIDH notes that this attitude is in contradiction with the principles defended by the Council of Europe.
(The draft convention is available at the internet site: http://www.coe.int/gmt ).