The United Nations (news – web sites) on Friday criticized new anti-terror powers given to Colombia’s military, calling them incompatible with international law.
The measures — including the right to make arrests without warrants, tap phones and collect evidence in war zones — were approved by congress on Wednesday to give U.S.-backed security forces more teeth to hunt down rebels fighting a four-decade guerrilla war. “The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Office in Colombia notes again that any measure taken to counteract violence and terrorism must respect human rights and hopes that the Colombian authorities will honor their international commitments regarding the protection and guarantee of those rights,” the office said in a news release. Full Story
