Counter terrorist legislation, intelligence and security agencies and human rights

Abstract

The paper discusses the nature and characteristics of counterterrorist legislation and focuses in particular on the influence of some of its provisions on the work of security intelligence services and their role in the protection of human rights and freedoms. Solutions contained in the so-called counterterrorist legislation have significantly changed and expanded to a great extent the scope of operations, jurisdiction and methods of security intelligence agencies in such a way as to effect more efficient combating of terrorism on the one hand, but also so as to question the justification of these solutions, especially from the aspect of the existing international standards for the protection of fundamental civil rights and freedoms. The rather heated debate does not appear to be calming down and it is particularly intensive with respect to the nature and scope of legal powers vested in the security intelligence services, their justification and possible threat to civil rights and liberties.

Primena pojedinih zakonskih rešenja usvojenih u najznačajnijim izvorima tzv. antiterorističkog zakonodavstva pokazala se u praksi kao izuzetno kontraverzna, naročito na polju njihove primene u radu obaveštajno bezbednosnih službi, gde su mnoga pomenuta rešenja u značajnoj meri dovela u pitanje sopstvenu opravdanost sa stanovišta zaštite osnovnih prava i sloboda građana. Rešenja tzv. antiterorističkog zakonodavstva su u značajnoj meri promenila i značajno proširila delokrug rada i nadležnosti i metode obaveštajno bezbednosnih službi i to na način kojim se, s jedne strane, afirmiše efikasnija borba protiv terorizma, ali, s druge strane, dovodi u pitanje opravdanost ovih rešenja naročito sa aspekta postojećih međunarodnih standarda za zaštitu osnovnih prava i sloboda građana. Veoma žustra polemika koja se tim povodom povela ne jenjava ni dalje, a naročito intenzivna je ona polemika koja se odnosi na prirodu i širinu zakonodavnih ovlašćenja obaveštajno bezbednosnih. Rasprave po tim pitanjima vode se kako unutar naučne i stručne, tako i u okvirima šire javnosti.