Study blasts US for human rights violations

Anti-terror measures by the US and the UK have seriously damaged the standing of international human rights laws, a study reveals.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said in its recent report that human rights violations committed in anti-terror efforts worldwide have been shocking.

The report, based on a three-year global study, declares that many measures employed in the fight against terrorism after the 9/11 attacks on the US were illegal and counter-productive.

"In the course of this inquiry, we have been shocked by the extent of the damage done over the past seven years by excessive or abusive counter-terrorism measures in a wide range of countries around the world," said ICJ member Arthur Chaskalson.

The report says that since 9/11 many countries have sought detention without trial, illegal disappearance and torture to provoke public fear of anti-terror measures.

The ICJ also took a swipe at Britain and the US, affirming that the two countries have "actively undermined" international law with their anti-terror efforts.

The report which covers over 40 countries urges countries to seek 'change', affirming that the legal processes implemented after World War II were "well-equipped to handle current terror 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," reads the report.

According to the report, US President Barack Obama must move to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp as soon as possible in a "human rights compliant manner", with inmates either charged or released.

The Geneva-based ICJ, which is a non-governmental organization promoting the observance of the rule of law and the legal protection of human rights, bases its report Assessing Damage, Urging Action on the experiences of people who have undergone torture in secret prisons and those held for extended periods without access to the external world, including lawyers and courts.