Four people killed in Special Anti-Terrorist Operation in Ingushetia

On October 16, 2009 after 4 p.m. in the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya (Ingushetia) officers of the Federal Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs killed four people during a special operation. The deceased were named in the press-release: Sulumbek Machukaev, Aslan Machukaev, Roza Hayauri and Nazir Gaydarov
According to official information in the press-release of [...]

New Bill Allows Russian Troops to be Deployed Abroad

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved an amended law that will allow the use of Russian armed forces abroad. The amendments stipulate that Russian troops can be used abroad to repel an attack on Russian military units or other troops deployed outside the country, to repel or prevent an armed attack on another state asking [...]

Council of Europe Committee of Ministers condemns UK implementation of Marper

At its last meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, in September (1065-4.2), the CoM made a damning assessment of the progress of UK’s implementation of the ECtHR ruling in S & Marper v. UK. The Committee of Ministers will conduct another progress assessment at its December meeting, three days short of the first anniversary of the [...]

Approval of EU-US extradition agreement – Council Decision 2009/820/CFSP

Full text here. 2003 extradition agreement here.

Surveillance and technology round-up

CNN reports that the US Deparment of Homeland Security is funding a new project called Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST. Instead of focusing on whether you have hidden explosives or whether you’re carrying a weapon, sensors and cameras located at security checkpoints would measure the natural signals coming from your body — your heart [...]

Azerbaijan court sentences 26 attackers of Abu Bakr Mosque

Those convicted said they were members of an organisation called Forest Brothers and among them were 23 Azeris, one Russian and two Turkish nationals. A court spokesman said the men were convicted of various offences including terrorism, murder, formation of an illegal group and arms possession.

Lithuania probe into secret detention sites to be expected on 22 December

Lithuania’s parliament voted Thursday to probe into allegations of the existence of a secret CIA prison on Lithuanian soil in 2005, RIA Novosti reports. The investigation findings are to be presented by December 22.
The launch of the parliamentary enquiry into the matter was initiated by the National Security and Defense Committee’s chairman, Arvydas Anusauskas. The [...]

French Senate examines EU-US Swift agreement

Read it here.

Five New York Men Detained and Abused in Post-9/11 Immigration Sweeps Settle Turkmen v. Ashcroft Case for $1.26 Million

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) announced that five men who had been living in New York and were ultimately deported won a $1.26 million settlement from the United States government in a case challenging post-9/11 racial profiling, illegal detention and abuse of Muslim, Arab and South Asian men.
The men were among more than 170 [...]

Northern Ireland dissidents ‘committed to launching mainland attacks’

Republican dissidents will shift their attacks across the Irish Sea to mainland Britain if they get the opportunity, the body overseeing paramilitary ceasefires warned today. The International Monitoring Commission also said former Provisional IRA members were helping dissidents to destabilise the peace process. In its latest report, the IMC revealed that the dissident threat was [...]