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"Strengthening security not an excuse for human rights abuses", says Ambassador Haupt
ALMATY 26 June 2002
ALMATY, 26 June 2002 - Participants at an international conference held in Kazakhstan agreed that a clear line should be drawn between Islam and Islamic radicalism. The two-day conference "Islam and National Security of Newly Independent States in Central Asia" was organized by the OSCE Centre in Almaty, the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Delegation of the European Commission in Kazakhstan in co-operation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Head of the OSCE Center in Almaty, Ambassador Heinrich Haupt said at the conference that strengthening security should not be used as an excuse for human rights abuses.
Representatives from eminent international research institutions, members of government and parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scholars and researchers from Central Asian countries, Russia and the US, as well as representatives of Kazakhstani non-governmental organizations participated in the event that took place on 24 and 25 June.
In addition to the necessity of drawing a clear line between Islam and Islamic radicalism, participants noted that there are groups trying to exploit Islam to achieve their political goals. Islam itself condemns terror in all its forms. While taking steps to combat terrorism and strengthening their security, Central Asian countries should ensure fair balance between legitimate national security concerns and fundamental freedoms such as the right to life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the principles of precision and non-retroactivity of criminal law except where a later law imposes a lighter penalty as stated in the Declaration on human rights and the combat against terrorism by UN/CoE/ODIHR of November 2001.
The event was organized with financial support of the British Government. A collection of presentations from the conference will be published by September 2002.
Head of the OSCE Center in Almaty, Ambassador Heinrich Haupt said at the conference that strengthening security should not be used as an excuse for human rights abuses.
Representatives from eminent international research institutions, members of government and parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scholars and researchers from Central Asian countries, Russia and the US, as well as representatives of Kazakhstani non-governmental organizations participated in the event that took place on 24 and 25 June.
In addition to the necessity of drawing a clear line between Islam and Islamic radicalism, participants noted that there are groups trying to exploit Islam to achieve their political goals. Islam itself condemns terror in all its forms. While taking steps to combat terrorism and strengthening their security, Central Asian countries should ensure fair balance between legitimate national security concerns and fundamental freedoms such as the right to life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the principles of precision and non-retroactivity of criminal law except where a later law imposes a lighter penalty as stated in the Declaration on human rights and the combat against terrorism by UN/CoE/ODIHR of November 2001.
The event was organized with financial support of the British Government. A collection of presentations from the conference will be published by September 2002.