Prevent in Scotland: a joint letter to the Scottish government (November 2024)

Amnesty Scotland, CEMVO Scotland and 12 other organisations and human rights campaigners have called on the Scottish government to review what steps it can take to limit the human rights impact of Prevent and to join calls on the UK government to abolish it entirely.

Prevent is the UK government’s flagship counter-terrorism policy but the Scottish government oversees its operation in devolved sectors like health, education and policing.

Developed without a firm evidence base, Prevent has been widely criticised for fostering discrimination against people of Muslim faith or background, targeting neurodivergent people, and chilling legitimate expression. Children and young people are also disproportionately impacted, with those aged 15 to 20 making up the largest number of referrals from Scotland in 2022-23.

In November 2023, Amnesty published a comprehensive report detailing the human rights impact of Prevent and called on the UK government to abolish it.

The Scottish government must now recognise the conclusion of Amnesty and many others – that Prevent is not compatible with its human rights obligations – and review what steps it can take to limit its impact.

Download our letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs below: