In 2006, the United Nations urged Member States to ensure that counter terrorism policies guaranteed respect for human rights and the rule of law. This book demonstrates that, in many cases, counter terrorism policies relating to preventive detention, targeted killing and measures relating to returning foreign terrorist fighters have failed to respect human rights, and this encourages vulnerable people to be drawn towards supporting or committing acts of terrorism. Furthermore, in recent years, jurisprudence and public opinion in some countries have shifted from being at one stage more protective of human rights, to an acquiescence that some particularly draconian counter terrorism methods are necessary and acceptable. This book analyzes why this has happened, with a focus on the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel, and offers suggestions to address this issue. The work will be essential reading for students, academics and policy-makers working in the areas of human rights, humanitarian law, and counter terrorism.

A critical take on the convergence of human rights discourse with the counterterrorism agenda revealing its effects on developing countries.

An exploration of the relationship between different branches of international law and their applicability to terrorism.

The idea that international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) are complementary, rather than mutually exclusive regimes generated a paradigmatic shift in the international legal discourse. The reconciliation was driven by a humanistic ethos and its purpose was to offer greater protection of the rights to life, liberty and dignity of all individuals under all circumstances. The complementarity of both regimes currently enjoys the status of the new orthodoxy and simultaneously invites critical reflection. This collection of essays accepts the invitation, offering diverse assessments of the merits of taking human rights to the battlefields of the twenty-first century. The book comprises three parts: part I focuses on the paradigmatic (security based "armed conflict" vs. human rights centered "law enforcement" paradigms) and the normative complexities of the interaction between both regimes in the "fight against terror" and in other, allegedly new, types of wars. Part II discusses the interplay between IHRL and IHL in the context of three specific regimes: belligerent occupation; the European Court of Human Rights and the protection of cultural heritage. Part III explores the potential fusion of IHL and IHRL into a new paradigm in two areas: post-bellum accountability and compensation to victims of war crimes. The range of issues, multitude of competing norms and narratives, and shifting paradigms explored in this collection, converse with each other. This conversation mirrors the process through which international law - paying deference to political realities while simultaneously seeking to transcend them - charts new pathways to advance its humanizing project.

Particularly in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the threat of terrorism, however, defined, has been invoked as a common ‘justification’ in the pursuit of remodelling policies, laws, and institutions, both at the international and in the domestic politico-legal showground. The broader central theme that this book explores is the normative vibe under which the present-day counterterrorism discourse is construed and sculpted in the legislative and institutional structures of an authoritarian state where the political power and government institutions are functioning under a single-party-monopolised system. Presenting the Ethiopian legislative and institutional frameworks as a case study, the book critically reflects on the extent that the international legal and/or institutional counterterrorism response is sensitised in a manner lessening the risk of conflating authoritarian regime’s unbearable reactions to citizens’ legitimate demands and resistances against its repression vis-àvis that of its response to the common threat of international terrorism. In particular, the book ponders whether or not the range of the substantive and procedural aspects of the Ethiopian antiterrorism legislative and institutional frameworks are wrought to fit into the main objectives and standards that emanate from the pertinent international laws relating to terrorism and the international human rights law as well as the domestic constitutional law maxims.

While providing a substantive legal analysis of the links between human rights and counter-terrorism, this book provides the tools to successfully argue that a human rights approach does not undermine the fight against terrorism. Through practical examples, it shows that a State’s lack of respect for human rights hinders its fight against terrorism and can be counter-productive. The contributing experts represent a wide breadth of experience at the national and international levels, and bring their unique approach to each cross-cutting topic.

This book examines the impact of counter-terrorism measures on specific elements of international human rights that are at the greatest risk of abuse in light of contemporary counter-terrorism measures, including the right to life; the right to free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the right to a fair trial; the right to privacy; and the right to liberty and security. Besides, for enrichment of discussions a number of cases have reviewed.

The increasingly transnational nature of terrorist activities compels the international community to strengthen the legal framework in which counter-terrorism activities should occur at every level, including that of intergovernmental organizations. This unique, timely, and carefully researched monograph examines one such important yet generally under-researched and poorly understood intergovernmental organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ('OIC', formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference). In particular, it analyses in depth its institutional counter-terrorism law-making practice, and the relationship between resultant OIC law and comparable UN norms in furtherance of UN Global Counter-Terrorism Stategy goals. Furthermore, it explores two common (mis)assumptions regarding the OIC, namely whether its internal institutional weaknesses mean that its law-making practice is inconsequential at the intergovernmental level; and whether its self-declared Islamic objectives and nature are irrelevant to its institutional practice or are instead reflected within OIC law. Where significant normative tensions are discerned between OIC law and UN law, the monograph explores not only whether these may be explicable, at least in part, by the OIC's Islamic nature, and objectives, but also whether their corresponding institutional legal orders are conflicting or cooperative in nature, and the resultant implications of these findings for international counter-terrorism law- and policy-making. This monograph is expected to appeal especially to national and intergovernmental counter-terrorism practitioners and policy-makers, as well as to scholars concerned with the interaction between international and Islamic law norms. From the Foreword by Professor Ben Saul, The University of Sydney Dr Samuels book must be commended as an original and insightful contribution to international legal scholarship on the OIC, Islamic law, international law, and counter-terrorism. It fills significant gaps in legal knowledge about the vast investment of international and regional effort that has gone into the global counter-terrorism enterprise over many decades, and which accelerated markedly after 9/11. The scope of the book is ambitious, its subject matter is complex, and its sources are many and diverse. Dr Samuel has deployed an appropriate theoretical and empirical methodology, harnessed an intricate knowledge of the field, and brought a balanced judgement to bear, to bring these issues to life.

The tragic events of 11 September 2001 have led to an intensification of measures against terrorism both at the level of states and international organisations. New laws and resolutions have been passed in order to strengthen national and international action against terrorism. Some of these measures violate human rights and have been introduced without respect for obligatory procedures under international human rights conventions for derogations in cases of emergency. This development has given rise to much concern worldwide. In order to analyse the many (human rights) questions posed by the intensified struggle against terrorism, a symposium was organised, on the initiative of the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights (MFHR) of Athens, by the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC) in Graz and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna together with the MFHR. This volume brings together most of the contributions to this high-level and in-depth discussion in edited, updated form. Among the issues analysed are the dangers entailed in the new doctrine of pre-emptive wars, the issue of the prevention of terrorism through measures addressing its causes and the strengthening of human security. The volume also contains an annex with major documents relating to the question of human rights and terrorism at universal and regional levels prepared by international organisations and NGO's, which represents a useful handbook on the topic. Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights (MFHR). Established in 1978 in Athens, Greece. Its main purposes are the research, study, defense, protection and promotion of generally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms.Within this framework, MFHR takes a special interest in the advancement of formal and informal education on human rights, the raising of public awareness and the adoption by States or international organisations of measures protecting human rights, peace and the development of democratic institutions. For more details, see: http: //www.mfhr.gr European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC) has been established in the year 2000, in the city of Graz, the first Human Rights City in Europe. It is a non-governmental organisation which is linked to the University of Graz through a cooperation agreement. The ETC has a particular focus on South-Eastern Europe, where it helped creating a network of human rights centres. In its training and research activities it is supported by an international advisory board. A particular focus of its training and research programmes is the relationship between human rights and human security, non-discrimination, migration, democracy and human rights at the local level. For more details, see: http: //www.etc-graz.at.