UN and EU could be violating human rights, report says
Countries, including Ireland, that are implementing the sanctions including freezing assets and refusing leave to travel, could be contravening the European Convention on Human Rights, the report says.
Drawn up by lawyer Dick Marty for Europe’s primary watchdog the Council of Europe, the report said the procedures must be urgently overhauled. About 60 people are on the EU blacklist, while the UN Security Council has blacklisted 370 individuals.
Many may not be aware that they are on the list as there is no demand to inform them and people can be added to the list on the basis of mere suspicions, said Mr Marty.
Even members of the committee deciding to add names to the terror list may not be told of the reasons behind the request coming from a member of the Security Council, he said.
“The person or group concerned is usually neither informed of the reasons for a request nor given the possibility to be heard until he or she attempts to cross a border or use a bank account. There are no procedures for an independent review.”
Such procedures were unworthy of the UN and the EU, said Mr Marty.
A Swiss national, Mr Marty produced a series of reports on European co-operation with the US in the kidnapping of terror suspects.
He questioned Ireland’s role by allowing CIA planes to land at Shannon without being searched.
