JURIST - Paper Chase: Rights panel says Russian anti-terror laws leading to abuses

[JURIST] The Eminent Jurist’s Panel (EJP) [advocacy website], an arm of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) [advocacy website], announced the results [press release] of an inquiry into Russian anti-terrorism efforts Thursday, concluding after two days of public hearings that many recently adopted anti-terrorism laws [JURIST report] are curtailing civil rights and leading to state abuses. Of the eight panel members, three were in Moscow this week [press release] conducting the hearings, including Mary Robinson [official profile], former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

While the panel members met with representatives of the Russian Justice Ministry [official website, in Russian], officials from numerous other offices declined their invitation. The panel also met with lawyers, civil rights advocates and alleged victims of Russian abuses. The Moscow hearings were the tenth set of hearings held worldwide since the EJP was assembled in October 2005. The results from all the hearings will be incorporated on a global report on terrorism, counter-terrorism, and human rights this fall. AP has more.

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