Sarah speaks to the European Parliament about counterterrorism (Newham Borough Liberal Democrats)

Newham Borough Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Sarah speaks to the European Parliament about counterterrorism

March 9, 2010 1:00 PM
Originally published by Sarah Ludford MEP

During the last decade, international cooperation on counterterrorism has been made more difficult because of human rights concerns, including in the practices of the US Administration.

We had hoped to put that behind us with the Obama Administration. Sadly we learn that unfair military commissions and indefinite detention without trial will carry on, even if Guantánamo is closed.

These departures from international and domestic legal norms make transatlantic data sharing projects even more problematic than they would otherwise be.

What representations is the Commission making to the US Administration in order to uphold fair trials, and warning that their absence will prejudice cooperation? I hope that nowadays, unlike in the past, there is no danger of the EU or its Member States colluding with gross breaches of fundamental rights in counterterrorism.