An insightful piece of news on Statewatch.org which quotes the Secretary General of the Council of Europe speaking recently at a press conference as saying;

"I am not in a position to go into any further detail at the moment, but we have received official acknowledgment of “handing over” individuals to foreign officials through procedures which ignore the standards and safeguards required by the European Convention on Human Rights and other legal instruments of the Council of Europe. A few other replies contain inconsistencies which we are in the process of clarifying in direct contact with the authorities of the countries concerned." (Full text)

Comment

Plainly it is hardly news that western governments are engaging in flagrant violations of human rights. The circumstantial evidence has been mounting for some time, and anyone studying the domestic agenda of the Blair government of late, could hardly fail to notice the contemptuous and repressive tone of much recent legislation. It is hardly likely that they are alone in forging this authoritarian trend.

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments elsewhere on the Statewatch site that:

"Time and time again EU governments are "harmonising" the powers of the state to place individuals under surveillance, when are they going to "harmonise" the right of the individuals against the misuse and abuse of state power?"

Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be much sign that they have any intention of doing so in the immediate future. It does appear increasingly likely however, that whilst the larger and more deeply concealed agendas of the European and global elite's are in play, human rights are very much on the back-burner.