Fundamental Freedoms on Trial: The human rights impact of broad counter-terrorism and anti-extremism laws

The Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, Anti-Extremism and Human Rights of the Civic Solidarity Platform present a report on effects of overly broad legislation in the OSCE region.

On September 23, 2019, the Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, Anti-Extremism and Human Rights of the Civic Solidarity Platform co-ordinated by Fair Trials and the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis presented a report on effects of overly broad counter-terrorism and anti-extremismlegislation in the OSCE region.

Terrorism and violent extremism continue pose a serious threat to democracy and human rights in the OSCE region. Over the last two decades, states have had to adapt to the increasingly global nature of terrorism, as well as the challenges presented by the need to tackle terrorism in the online sphere. However, the speed and lack of human rights oversight with which counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation has been introduced has had a detrimental effect on human rights across the OSCE.

Thе paper identifies key gaps in international, regional and national laws in the OSCE region, which allow for the misapplication of counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation in violation of international human rights law. It highlights a few key examples to demonstrate the breadth of the challenge and the importance of keeping human rights at the forefront of discussions on countering the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

Read the full report here.