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Ankara – Paris, 18 September 2003
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) that
federates 116 human rights organizations throughout the world
is organizing, in partnership with the Human Rights Association
(IHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV), a regional
seminar in Ankara from 18 to 22 September 2003.
The FIDH received the financial support of the European Commission.
The seminar, designed to tackle the 9/11 subsequent attempts
to suspend human rights and international humanitarian law in
the South and East of the Mediterranean, is gathering actors
from the civil society, policy makers and legal experts coming
from the Arab World as well as from Turkey during three days
of presentations, workshops and open discussions.
Since 11 September 2001 the fight against terrorism has been
a tremendous issue on the international agenda. However, the
legitimate and necessary prevention and repression of terrorist
acts have been widely used throughout the world to infringe
upon public freedoms, in total disrespect of international human
rights and humanitarian law. In many Southern and Eastern Mediterranean
countries, terrorism has since long been used as a pretext for
repression and this trend has accelerated in the past 2 years.
In this respect, the FIDH and its partners believe that the
time has come to question the concept of terrorism from a human
rights and humanitarian perspective and to evaluate the consequences
on human rights and international humanitarian law of the so-called
fight against terrorism. This shall be done through an exchange
of information and experiences between human rights defenders
in the region, through an assessment of the impact of the fight
against terrorism on legislations and practices at national
and regional levels.
This seminar will be the place for propositions on the monitoring
of anti-terrorist policies in regard to inalienable human rights
standards. The conclusions and recommendations of the seminar
shall be released on Sunday 21 September 2003.
Press contact
Best Western Hotel 2000 – Ankara + 90 312 419 90 01
Stephanie David - FIDH
Elin Wrzoncki - FIDH |
