Europe committed crimes during counter-terrorism efforts: rights chief News
Europe committed crimes during counter-terrorism efforts: rights chief
Photo source or description

[JURIST] The Council of Europe (COE) [official website] Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg [official profile] on Thursday accused European governments of numerous human rights violations [statement] during counter-terrorism efforts over the past 10 years. Hammarberg said that many European countries began helping the US with secret counter-terrorism measures after the 9/11 attacks [JURIST archive]. Those measures allegedly included rendition of suspects with the cooperation of local police and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) [official website], detention in covert facilities and interrogation involving torture. The efforts bypassed traditional judicial systems in European nations:

Governments across the European continent have acted in line with the wishes of the US to prevent proper investigations, and particularly judicial scrutiny, of the abuses arising from rendition operations. The message is clear–good relations between the security agencies are deemed more important than preventing torture and other serious human rights violations.

Hammarberg accused officials of covering up evidence of the crimes. He also called on COE member states to begin immediate investigations into rights violations and to allow the crimes to face judicial scrutiny.

The COE’s renewed call for investigations into counter-terrorism actions corresponds with the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2006, the COE urged member states to launch investigations after accusing [JURIST report] 14 European countries of collaborating with the CIA by taking an active or passive role in a “global spider’s web” of secret prisons and rendition flights. The accusation followed publication of a COE report [PDF] detailing the results of an investigation into alleged secret detention centers [COE materials] and illegal rendition flights operated by the CIA in Europe. The report also referenced the cases of 17 detainees who claim they were kidnapped by US agents and transported to facilities around the globe, including in Romania and Poland. The European Parliament [official website] that year also conducted a similar investigation [JURIST report].

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.