Human Rights Council- 10th Session
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
Oral Intervention
Item 3- General Debate
16 March, 2009
Delivered by Mr. Ziad ABDEL TAWAB
Thank you Mr. President
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies endorses the report issued to this HRC session by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism. The Special Rapporteur’s report is a strong reminder that counter-terrorism efforts need to be accompanied by (quote) “a framework that enables an independent investigation into human rights violations by intelligence agencies.”
CIHRS notes that the report of the Special Rapporteur specifically mentions that states of the Arab region often have laws that provide impunity to state security and intelligence agencies, such as in Algeria; or which lack a sufficient legal framework to regulate the counter-terrorism measures of such agencies, as in Jordan and Morocco.
CIHRS would like to further point out that impunity and extra-legal authority is given to security and intelligence personnel in almost all Arab countries. In this respect it is important to note the larger legal and institutional context that counter-terrorism laws and policies occur within many states in the Arab region. Almost all states in the region actively undermine efforts to create transparent and independent accountability mechanisms in order to preserve non-democratic forms of government, and, in this way, systematically repress internal legal and political reform efforts. During 2008, counter-terrorism laws and similar emergency laws have been used to repress social protests, as well as arrest political activists, journalists and bloggers in countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
CIHRS views full cooperation by Arab states with the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism, including answering requests for country visits, and allowing for unfettered access to security and intelligence personnel, state detention facilities and civil society representatives as an important first step to take in order to demonstrate a genuine political will to ensure their counter terrorism laws and policies do not contradict with their human rights obligations.
Thank you Mr. President
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