Background Briefing

Human Rights Watch Briefing On The Terrorism Bill 2005

Second Reading in the House of Lords

November 2005

But let us be clear about this: while the State has the right to employ to the full its arsenal of legal weapons to repress and prevent terrorist activities, it may not use indiscriminate measures which would only undermine the fundamental values they seek to protect.

Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General, Council of Europe.1

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Download PDF file (16 pages, 130 KB)

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[1] Preface to the Guidelines on human rights and the fight against terrorism adopted by the Committee of Ministers on July 11, 2002, at the 804th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, Directorate General of Human Rights, December 2002.