London, Jan 13, IRNA – The decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to rule Britain’s anti-terrorism stop and search powers illegal has been welcomed by human rights and civil liberty organisations.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHCR) said it had repeatedly highlighted the ineffectiveness and human rights violations of such measures which have lead to ethnic and religious profiling in the UK
“The use of these powers has increased from 33,177 in 2004, to 117,200 in 2008, without it resulting in the apprehension or conviction of a single terrorist,” IHRC said.
It also called for the re-evaluation of other anti-terror laws, including giving port security arbitrary powers to detain and question and the threat of a 3 months prison for failing to comply with the authorities.
“While we are pleased with the decision by the ECHR, we urge the government to refrain from misusing anti-terror laws which results in the violation of civil liberties and human rights,” said its chair Massoud Shadjareh.
“We remind all that a secure and just society cannot be built on unjust laws,” Shadjareh said in a statement sent to IRNA.
Liberty civil rights group also said it had consistently warned the UK government about the dangers of stop and search without suspicion.
“The public, police and Court of Human Rights all share our concerns for privacy, protest, race equality and community solidarity that come with this sloppy law,” said Liberty legal officer, Corinna Ferguson, who acted for the applicants in the ECHR case.
The case involved Kevin Gillan, a student from Sheffield, northern England, and Pennie Quinton, a freelance photojournalist, who were stopped and searched under terrorism laws when on their war to a protest demonstration at a London arms fair in 2003.
The ruling overturns a 2003 High Court verdict in Britain, which was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords that the use of stop and search was proportionate under the European Convention on Human Rights and justified in the light of the threat of terrorism.
The initial reaction from the Home Office in London is that the government is likely to try to appeal against the EHRC decision.