GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Global counter-terrorism efforts have resulted in widespread negligence of human rights, a report by the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists says.
The ICJ, a non-governmental international human-rights organization, released a report Monday criticizing the war on terror. The report said temporary counter-terrorism policies have largely become permanent practices for the United States, Europe and most countries engaged in combating terrorism. The report said many of the policies violate human rights, the ICJ reported.
The report, titled "Assessing Damage, Urging Action," reviews 16 hearings in more than 40 countries since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and cites common practices like torture, secret detention and unfair trials, among other human-rights abuses that are in violation of international laws.
"Seven years after Sept. 11, it is time to take stock and to repeal abusive laws and policies enacted in recent years," Mary Robinson, ICJ president, said in a statement.
"Human rights and international humanitarian law provide a strong and flexible framework to address terrorist threats. It is now absolutely essential that all states restore their commitment to human rights and that the United Nations takes on a leadership role in this process. If we fail to act now, the damage to international law risks becoming permanent."
