'RIGHT'S AT RISK': REACTION TO 11 SEPTEMBER FURTHER UNDERMINING HUMAN RIGHTS

The 51-page report, Rights at Risk, examines pre-existing repressive legislation and newly-introduced measures in countries that include Egypt, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and China.

Violations detailed include:

· indefinite detention without charge or trial; · incommunicado detention, which facilitates torture; · unfair trials; · infringement of rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

In a letter to the Security Council, Amnesty International's Secretary General Irene Khan, warned:

'There is a grave risk, already borne out in some countries, that security considerations will prevail over human rights. A number of states have introduced new laws that violate human rights standards while others have used existing measures to crack down on opposition.'

None of the six experts appointed by the Committee to assist it in its monitoring task are experts in human rights. Amnesty International is therefore calling upon the Security Council to request the Counter-Terrorism Committee to:

· appoint an expert in international law, including human rights, to assist the Committee in monitoring the actions of states;

· provide specific guidance on how states can comply with international human rights standards when implementing measures to combat 'terrorism'.

Background

Following the 11 September attacks, the Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor the far-ranging steps that the Council said were necessary to combat 'terrorism'. On 18 January 2002, the committee started examining more than 100 reports from States about those measures.

For further information please read the following documents:

- Rights at Risk report

- Report Summary /p>

- Open letter to the members of the Security Council /p>