News online - current lead stories For full contents see: Statewatch News online with analysis, documentation, news in brief and News Archives 2000-ongoing or What's New: Lists all News Online and News in Brief items. The latest 25 news items are listed below EU: SPECIAL STATEWATCH REPORT: The Shape of Things to Come - the EU Future Group (Version.1.3) by Tony Bunyan: 20,267 copies downloaded. The report calls for a “meaningful and wide-ranging debate” before it is “too late” for privacy and civil liberties. EU-UN-ROMA: UN experts call for European action to stop violence against Roma (UN press release, pdf): "Effective action is required to stem the growing tide of hostility, anti-Roma sentiment and violence across Europe" stated the UN Independent Expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall. "Where a hard-core of extremism exists in society and is willing to perpetrate violence, the full force of the criminal justice system must be used to protect targeted populations." Equally, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, Githu Muigai, stressed that "such actions reveal serious and deep-rooted problems of racism and discrimination against Roma at the heart of modern Europe that must be addressed in the most vigorous manner and through the rule of law." See also: Ethnic riot erupts in Czech town (BBC News, link) EU: European Commission drops proposals for "body scanners" at airports (which strip people naked). On 18 November the Commission announced that it was to drop its proposal for "body scanners" to be used as part of airport security after opposition from the European Parliament and civil society groups. Lack of EU rules means member states can choose whether or not to use "body scanners". See: EU: Body Scanners at airports: MEPs say that fundamental rights are under threat (EP Press release, pdf) and The measure was proposed in the Commission proposal for a Regulation on aviation security: full-text (pdf). UK: INTRODUCTION OF ID CARDS: Home Office: Consultation press release (pdf) and full Consultation document (pdf) and see story below. UK: Home Office: Identity and Passport Service: Introducing the National Identity Scheme: How the Scheme will work and how it will benefit you (pdf). The No2ID campaign comments: "The document doesn't mention that once your details are in the database they are in there for life, that it is your responsibility to keep that data up to date and to not lose your card, that you can't check your record, that there are fines for any errors or if you fail to keep your data up to date, and that the National Identity Register Number will be used to track you for the rest of your life." CoE-FRANCE: “French detention and immigration policies risk reducing human rights protection” says Commissioner Hammarberg (Press release, pdf) and Memorandum by Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (pdf): "Security concerns should not undermine a full respect for human rights norms. Some French policies on detention and immigration risk undermining these standards.” With these words, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, presented today his report on France, identifying problems as regards prison conditions, preventive detention (rétention de sûreté), juvenile justice and rights of migrants. Grinding down the human rights defenders (link). The Autumn 2008 issue of the IRR's European Race Bulletin examines the resistance and the criminalisation of solidarity and protest, also contains an article on the the Austrian general election and the death of Jörg Haider. EU: "CHECK THE WEB" PROJECT which looks for terrorist websites with the object of closing them down: From "terrorism" to "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites": Draft Council conclusions on the continuation of work on combating terrorism (EU doc no: 15684/08, dated 14 November 2008, pdf) These Conclusions say there is a need: "to combat the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, and in particular to participate in the European "Check the Web" project, inter alia on subjects such as "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites"" (emphasis added) But see: EU: Revised EU Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment to Terrorism (EU doc no: 15175/08, dated 14 November 2008, pdf), which says that factors leading to "radicalisation" include: "unresolved international and domestic strife" (as before there is no mention of Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan). The Strategy report goes on to say that: "We need to empower mainstream voices by stepping up the dialogue with political, religious and separatist groups which favour moderation and exclude recourse to violence." Presumably "mainstream voices" that "favour moderation" include "moderate Islamist websites"? Or does "moderate" only extend to websites categorised by EU police and internal security agencies as not carrying "Islamist propaganda"? Italy: Raft of restrictive amendments under discussion, as new norms on asylum and family reunion come into force ASGI, the Associazione Studi Giuridici sull'Immigrazione, has presented a number of documents highlighting the problems that would result from amendments that have been submitted to the law decree on security (Ddl 773) that is undergoing scrutiny in the Senate since 11 November 2008 and the latest reform of the education system. See also: Italy: Institutionalising discrimination by Yasha Maccanico: "The racist scape-goating of Roma and Sinti has paved the way for an ominous crackdown by the Berlusconi government with echoes of a terrible past and could lead to a shift to authoritarianism that will be difficult to reverse." USA: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Documents Reveal U.S. Knowingly Transfers Detainees To Countries That Torture (link) The documents obtained by the ACLU and Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic (link) EU: "Freedom, Security and Justice: What will be the future?" – Consultation on priorities of the European Union for the next five years (2010-2014, pdf): Opinion of the National Red Cross Societies of the Member States of the European Union and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies GREECE: Protests in Greek prisons: Public support for prison protests - Greece in the Spotlight (pdf) CoE: RENDITION: Dick Marty: Brief to US Supreme Court: Khaled el-Masri case (pdf) Press Release: European Union sets its military sights on space - Venus to Mars: full-text of report (pdf) Updated: EU-EXCHANGE OF CRIMINAL RECORDS: Exchange of criminal information and "intelligence": Draft Guidelines on the implementation of the "Swedish Framework Decision" (13942/REV1/08, 107 pages, pdf). "The aim of this publication is to provide guidelines for the implementation of Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States of the European Union." plus: Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States of the European Union - draft Guidelines (pdf) See also the underlying measure - which goes much wider as it covers both the exchange of "information" and of "intelligence" (that may be "hard" and reliable, or "soft" and unreliable, uncorroborated: Framework Decision on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States of the European Union (pdf) GENOA-2001: No justice in Genoa - The G8 protesters were brutalised, yet the Foreign Office showed complete indifference (Guardian, link). See Statewatch's Observatory on reactions to protests in the EU EU/Libya: Petition against detention camps for migrants in Libya (Fortress Europe, link). A petition "for an international investigation on the detention conditions of migrants and refugees arrested in Libya on their way to Europe" was launched by the directors of the documentary "Come un uomo sulla terra", which features stories told by African refugees about their journey through Libya. The petition, to be sent to Italian and EU authorities as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, highlights Italy's responsibilities as a result of bilateral agreements whereby Italy provides "financial and technical support to Libya" to control migration flows. See also: Italy/Libya: "Special and privileged" bilateral relationship treaty EU-EUROPOL: Report from the UK House of Lords Select Committee on the EU: EUROPOL: Coordinating the fight against serious and organised crime (285 pages, pdf) EU-USA-DATA PROTECTION: Opinion from the European Data Protection Supervisor: Final Report by the EU-US High Level Contact Group on information sharing and privacy and personal data protection (pdf) EU/Africa/Middle East: Fortress Europe blog details 108 deaths in October 2008 UK: Mohamed Raissi falsely imprisoned (Press release, pdf) and Full-text of Court Judgment (pdf): "Today the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment confirming that Mohamed Raissi was falsely imprisoned by officers of the Metropolitan Police when they arrested and detained him at Paddington Green Police Station on 21 September 2001. Mohamed Raissi is the brother of Lotfi Raissi who was wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers. The Court of Appeal confirmed in February this year that Lotfi was “completely exonerated” in a strongly worded judgement that was critical of the part played by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police in the failed attempt to extradite him." UK-FRANCE: Joint UK-French charter to repatriate Afghans narrowly averted? GREECE, Athens: ASYLUM-SEEKERS PROTEST - MIGRANT DIES: Press release from NGOs (pdf): ARSIS - Social Association for the Support of Youth, Ecumenical Refugee Programme, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees (Athens), Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees (Thessaloniki) ,Hellenic League for Human Rights Movement for Human Rights, Solidarity with Refugees in Samos, National Focal Point on Racism and Xenophobia, KEMO PRAKSIS "PROS-FYGI", Initiative for Solidarity with Refugees in Mytilini: "during the weekend of 25-26 October, after having been barred from the asylum process for two months, an unprecedented number of asylum seekers (around 3000) queued up outside the building of the Aliens' Directorate at Petrou Ralli Street, in order to claim asylum under conditions which degraded their human dignity. The response of the police was to resort to violence in order to repel the crowd; as a result, many were injured while the death of a migrant during these events is being treated as suspicious following witness accusations." UK: Academics are not immigration officials (Letter to the Guardian, 10 November 2008, link). See also news story with a slightly insensitive headline: Academics balk at 'spying' on students to nail migrant scams (link) Italy/Libya: "Special and privileged" bilateral relationship treaty On 30 August 2008, Italy and Libya signed a friendship, partnership and co-operation treaty for the purpose of developing a "special and privileged" bilateral relationship involving a strong and wide-ranging partnership in political, economic and other fields. The treaty also seeks to end the "painful" chapter of the past involving suffering inflicted on Libyan people during Italy's colonial adventure, for which Italy expressed its regret in a joint statement in 1998. Catching History on the Wing by A. Sivanandan, November 2008, speech by the IRR's director, at the IRR's fiftieth celebration conference (Full-text of speech, IRR, link): "the refugees and asylum seekers, thrown up on Europe's shores, stem from the uprooting and displacement of whole populations caused by globalisation, and the imperial wars and regime change that follow in its wake. Globalisation and immigration are part of the same continuum. We are here because you are there." THE ALTERNATIVE CONSULTATION ON EU JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS POLICY: The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the future priorities in the field of Justice and Home Affairs policy. The European Civil Liberties Network has produced an alternative questionnaire to provoke a more wide ranging debate about EU policy and practice. Please take a few moments to complete the survey and have your say on EU justice and home affairs policy: Complete survey : For more information about the ECLN survey, see: the ECLN survey EU: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals (EU doc: DS 1006/08, pdf). Report from the Council Presidency to SCIFA setting out the latest positions on the proposed Directive. However, you will not find this document listed on the Council public register of documents because it has been classified as a Room Document and thus to be kept hidden. EU: European Data Protection Supervisor: The EDPS and EU Research and Technological Development: Policy paper (pdf) UK: Total spending ban on men accused of funding al-Qaida: Pair caught in legal trap they cannot challenge - Funds frozen under power never discussed by MPs (Guardian, link) UK-USA: Cross-party attempt to fight extradition of British hacker (Guardian, link) "Senior politicians from all parties are urging the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, to halt the extradition of the computer hacker Gary McKinnon unless she receives a guarantee from the US that he will be allowed to serve any sentence imposed in Britain." Background: Extradition Treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America with Exchange of Notes (pdf) See Statewatch analysis: The UK-US Extradition Treaty (pdf) - removes or restricts key protections for defendants and signed and adopted with no parliamentary scrutiny EU-PNR: Latest Council document: General discussion of matters relating to the analysis and transmission of PNR data and data-protection (pdf) and PNR: Opinion of the Fundamental Rights Agency (pdf) See: Full contents of Statewatch News online with commentary and news in brief plus archives or What's New Top reports 2007-2008 EU: SPECIAL STATEWATCH REPORT: The Shape of Things to Come by Tony Bunyan (Version 1.3 with corrections and amendments). The EU is currently developing a new five year strategy for justice and home affairs and security policy for 2009-2014. The proposals set out by the shadowy "Future Group" set up by the Council of the European Union include a range of highly controversial measures including new technologies of surveillance, enhanced cooperation with the United States and harnessing the "digital tsunami". In the words of the EU Council presidency: "Every object the individual uses, every transaction they make and almost everywhere they go will create a detailed digital record. This will generate a wealth of information for public security organisations, and create huge opportunities for more effective and productive public security efforts." This major new report The Shape of Things to come (60 pages) examines the proposals of the Future Group and their effect on civil liberties. It shows how European governments and EU policy-makers are pursuing unfettered powers to access and gather masses of personal data on the everyday life of everyone – on the grounds that we can all be safe and secure from perceived “threats”. The Statewatch report calls for a “meaningful and wide-ranging debate” before it is “too late” for privacy and civil liberties. See also ongoing: Statewatch Observatory: "The Shape of Things to Come" - the EU Future group EU: The dream of total data collection by Heiner Busch. Status quo and future plans for EU information systems Terrorist lists" still above the law by Ben Hayes EU: Secret trilogues and the democratic deficit by Tony Bunyan EU: Returns Directive: "Against the Outrageous Directive" speech given by Yasha Maccanico in EP Cementing the European state by Tony Bunyan, New emphasis on internal security and operational cooperation at EU level EU-SIS Schengen Infornation System Article 99 report by Ben Hayes Policing protests in Switzerland, Italy and Germany The surveillance of travel in the EU where everyone is a suspect by Tony Bunyan Top reports 2004-06 EU: Statewatch Report: Arming Big Brother: new research reveals the true costs of Europe's security-industrial complex by Ben Hayes (pdf, April 2006). The European Union is preparing to spend hundreds of million on new research into surveillance and control technologies, according to Arming Big Brother, a new report by the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Statewatch. Press release (English) Press release (Spanish, link) Copy of full report (English, pdf) Copy of full report (Spanish, pdf) Hard copies of Arming Big Brother can be obtained from: The Transnational Institute, please send an e-mail to: wilbert@tni.org with your request. EU: "Unaccountable Europe" by Tony Bunyan (Statewatch editor) in Special issue of Index on Censorship: "Big Brother Goes Global" (December 2005) Europe: Launch of the European Civil Liberties Network (link) - The ECLN was launched on 19 October 2005 as a long-term project to develop a platform for groups working on civil liberties issues across Europe. A collection of "Essays in defence of civil liberties and democracy" was published to mark the launch the ECLN Global surveillance: Global coalition launch report and international surveillance campaign: Statewatch, with partner organisations the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Focus on the Global South, Friends Committee (US) and the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (Canada) today publishes an in-depth report: "The emergence of a global infrastructure for registration and surveillance" (20 April, 2005). Statewatch report: Journalism, civil liberties and the war on terrorism (full-report/request printed copy) - Special report by the International Federation of Journalists and Statewatch including an analysis of current policy developments as well as a survey of 20 selected countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin Amercia, the Middle East and the USA (published World press freedom day, 1 May 2005) Statewatch analysis: The exceptional and draconian become the norm - G8 and EU counter-terrorism plans (updated 26 March 2005 pdf) Statewatch "Scoreboard" on EU counter-terrorism plans (pdf) agreed in the wake of the Madrid bombings. Our analysis shows that 27 out of the 57 EU proposals have little or nothing to do with tackling terrorism - they deal with crime in general and surveillance: Analysis in Spanish (March 2004) The road to "1984" Part II: Everyone in the EU will have to have their fingerprints taken to get a passport (February 2004) The Statewatch website Since its launch this website has had 6,942,280 user sessions and 33,802,533 "hits" (October 2008) In the year 2004 there were 625,653 user sessions with 2,791,124 "hits" In the year 2005 there were 979,772 user sessions with 4,076,016 "hits" In the year 2006 there were 1,341,158 user sessions with 5,446,221 "hits" In the year 2007 there were 1,693,941 user sessions with 6,464,960 "hits" Join Statewatch regular e-mail list for new stories: Join Statewatch news e-mail list Statewatch is registered under the Data Protection Act. 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