No torture, no compromise

5.14.19pm GMT Tue 27th Jun 2006

To mark today's UN day against torture (26.06.06), Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP spoke at an anti-torture demonstration organised by the campaign group Liberty, of which she is a Council member. She said:

"Both the UN and the EU are founded on the post-World War II desire to build a new international order centred on human rights to avoid the horror of what had gone before. Of that vow of 'never again' were born a series of noble legal agreements."

"It is shocking that 60 years on, these are being either misrepresented as impediments to fighting crime or systematically ignored by governments jumping on a 'war on terror' bandwagon."

Sarah Ludford, vice-chair of the European Parliament's committee investigating CIA "torture flights", also hit out at the assault by Tony Blair and David Cameron on the UK's Human Rights Act - the legislation which 'brings justice home' by enabling British citizens and residents to enjoy the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights without having to go to Strasbourg. She said:

"Labour and Tories are playing a shoddy, dangerous and un-British game of who can be more macho in throwing away human rights protections so that people can be deported to places where they might be tortured. This loss of moral credibility would appal those who fought Nazi horror."

"Contrary to the view these leaders promote, human rights do not impede successful law enforcement, indeed they are the very bedrock of a fair and effective justice system. This message must be heard loud and clear from politicians of all parties."