Rights group decries British terror bill

LONDON, June 11 (UPI) -- A leading human rights group criticized a vote Wednesday in the British House of Commons to detain terror suspects up to six weeks without charging them.

Human Rights Watch said the law would violate civil liberty and could undermine counter-terrorism efforts.

"This vote is a terrible disappointment and it's dangerous," said Judith Sunderland, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"The bill won't make people in Britain safer. It's now up to the House of Lords to reject extended pre-charge detention, on grounds of both principle and efficacy," she said in a statement.

Currently, officials are allowed to detain terror suspects for up to 28 days. The bill now moves to the House of Lords.

"If you were detained, wouldn't you want the judge to ask whether there are any grounds to believe the accusations against you?" Sunderland said. "It's not just about whether the police are continuing to investigate, it's about whether there's enough evidence to investigate in the first place."