ktlight
20th July 2011, 08:44
FYI:
Britain's counter-terrorism powers that have led to more than 85,000 travelers being stopped and searched at ports and airports at random in 2009-2011 should be reviewed, watchdog warns.
David Anderson QC who is currently the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation said special branch officers questioned 2,687 people who were detained at random for more than an hour in 2009-2010 with detention of 466 people taking up to nine hours.
Anderson said the number of the detainees under the schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for 2010-2011 is yet to be published but added his research shows whatever the number, the powers are leaving Muslims with the “negative experience” that the regulations are targeted at them.
This comes as the Federation of Student Islamic Societies earlier said that ethnic or religious minorities especially those from Asia are up to 42 times more likely to be stopped and searched compared with the white people.
The concerns among several minority groups has led the Home Office to pledge an investigation into the concerns that minorities “are disproportionately affected” by the schedule 7 powers.
"Negative experiences included repeated stops of the same individuals; the stress caused to the person stopped and to those travelling with them, as they worry about missing flights or losing baggage; the seizure of mobile phones and credit cards, intrusive and maladroit questions about religious beliefs and community activities; and a feeling they were being targeted as Muslims and used to build up a profiles of Muslim communities," said Anderson in his annual report, published on Monday.
"I heard similar stories myself from Muslim organisations and individuals," he added.
Anderson also warned that the use of powers to target certain communities especially Muslims is “eroding trust” to the government among them.
He also called for a “careful review of the extent and conditions” of the use of schedule 7 powers.
"Terrorism is crime, and should be prosecuted as such wherever possible. A thicket of special powers for dealing with terrorism has grown up over the past 12 years, many of them useful and even necessary," he said.
"But we lose ground to the terrorists if we allow those powers to be operated without sufficient regard for the liberties of innocent people who risk being subjected to them," he added.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/189780.html
Britain's counter-terrorism powers that have led to more than 85,000 travelers being stopped and searched at ports and airports at random in 2009-2011 should be reviewed, watchdog warns.
David Anderson QC who is currently the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation said special branch officers questioned 2,687 people who were detained at random for more than an hour in 2009-2010 with detention of 466 people taking up to nine hours.
Anderson said the number of the detainees under the schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for 2010-2011 is yet to be published but added his research shows whatever the number, the powers are leaving Muslims with the “negative experience” that the regulations are targeted at them.
This comes as the Federation of Student Islamic Societies earlier said that ethnic or religious minorities especially those from Asia are up to 42 times more likely to be stopped and searched compared with the white people.
The concerns among several minority groups has led the Home Office to pledge an investigation into the concerns that minorities “are disproportionately affected” by the schedule 7 powers.
"Negative experiences included repeated stops of the same individuals; the stress caused to the person stopped and to those travelling with them, as they worry about missing flights or losing baggage; the seizure of mobile phones and credit cards, intrusive and maladroit questions about religious beliefs and community activities; and a feeling they were being targeted as Muslims and used to build up a profiles of Muslim communities," said Anderson in his annual report, published on Monday.
"I heard similar stories myself from Muslim organisations and individuals," he added.
Anderson also warned that the use of powers to target certain communities especially Muslims is “eroding trust” to the government among them.
He also called for a “careful review of the extent and conditions” of the use of schedule 7 powers.
"Terrorism is crime, and should be prosecuted as such wherever possible. A thicket of special powers for dealing with terrorism has grown up over the past 12 years, many of them useful and even necessary," he said.
"But we lose ground to the terrorists if we allow those powers to be operated without sufficient regard for the liberties of innocent people who risk being subjected to them," he added.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/189780.html