"Bleak" future for human rights without the European Constitution - Stephen Jakobi

10.34.18am GMT Wed 12th Jan 2005

Speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Law Enforcement, Organised Crime and Terrorism, Stephen Jakobi, Director of Fair Trials Abroad, claimed that the European Constitution would be a good thing for justice.

"Without the European Constitution, the future for the protection of fundamental rights is bleak. The EU needs to be sold to the citizen as a way of protecting fundamental rights both within and outside its borders" he said.

Mr Jakobi continued to outline some of the ways in which citizens' rights and freedoms in the EU are not currently adequately protected.

"Out of every hundred people arrested across Europe under terrorism charges, 97 are released after being detained for days, one is released after an even longer detention, and only two are eventually charged. This is pure harassment."

Bill Newton Dunn MEP, who set up and chairs the Intergroup on Law Enforcement, Organised Crime and Terrorism, said:

"We must ensure that individuals are not caught in the crossfire of efforts to tackle terrorism and other serious crimes. Citizens should not be made to suffer due to the failings of the law enforcement authorities. We must improve our law enforcement techniques hand in hand with improving safeguards for suspects."

The European Constitution includes human rights in both the values and objectives of the Union, it incorporates the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in the Treaty and it states that the EU will accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Note to editors:

• The Intergroup is an informal cross-nationality, cross-party group of MEPs interested in pursuing issues relating to law enforcement and tackling Organised Crimes and terrorism. It meets during the Parliament's plenary sessions in Strasbourg.

• The Fair Trials Abroad Trust (FTA) seeks to help citizens of the European Union accused of a crime in a country other than their own to assert their rights to due administration of justice. for more information, see: www.fairtrialsabroad.org