UK rapped over attacks on civil liberties
Amnesty International has slammed the UK over its assaults on civil liberties, saying the country is “leading the charge” in attacking European human rights legislation, amid increased surveillance and diminished access to justice.
The human rights group censured the UK in an annual report, titled The State of the World’s Human Rights, which was released on Wednesday.
Amnesty said Prime Minister David Cameron’s government had quickly approved legislation on issues such as anti-terror measures and invasive spying powers without providing sufficient time for parliamentary debate.
The report also condemned Cameron for “leading the charge” in attacking the European Convention on Human Rights as well as passing legislation at the cost of civil rights.
“The UK is going in the wrong direction on rights, protections and fairness. Public safety is paramount but not at the cost of basic civil liberties,” said Kate Allen, the group’s UK director.
“We should all be concerned about waking up in a surveillance state without having a proper public debate about it first,” Allen added.
The right group highlighted two cases this year in which the UK’s intelligence services - Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6) - were found guilty of operating unlawfully.
“Twice this year GCHQ spies have been rumbled breaking the law. Just last week, the Government was forced to concede its regime for intercepting lawyer-client communications was illegal,” said Allen.
In addition, the report criticized the influence of “nationalist, thinly veiled xenophobic attitudes” in the British government that were particularly evident in its immigration policies and anti-EU sentiments.
Amnesty called on the British government to focus on improving the country’s human rights instead of speaking globally about the issue.
“The UK talks the talk on the global stage on human rights but this year’s summary shows they need to tend to their own garden,” said Allen.
Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan commented on the report saying, “The belligerent attitude of the Tories towards human rights, access to justice and the rule of law is doing real damage to our international reputation.”
A government spokesman responded to the group’s findings stating, “This government is committed to upholding and championing human rights here and around the world.”
CAH/HJL/HRB
Rights groups demand arrest warrant for Israeli FM visiting UK over Gaza war crimes
Muslim prisoners ‘singled out’ for violent treatment in England: Charity
Report: Most Britons ignorant about scale of UK slavery
US nuclear weapons costs projected to soar to $946 billion
Yemen downs seven US Reapers worth $200 million in six weeks
VIDEO | Immigrant voices unite in New York against global far-right surge
Iran rejects 'baseless' Dutch claims about plotting assassinations
US warplanes bomb four Yemeni provinces in fresh aggression
VIDEO | Paris protesters slam Israel’s war on Gaza
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | US issues ‘final offer’ to Kiev for peace with Moscow
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
