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France Parliament to Debate Anti-Terror Law
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"Never
has the terrorist threat been so high," de Villepin said
(Reuters).
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PARIS, November 22, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) –
France's parliament is due to debate an anti-terror law on Wednesday,
November 22, motivated by the July 7 London
bombings, following in the footsteps of other European states
including Britain
and Italy.
"Never
has the terrorist threat been so high. It is all the more serious
because it has changed in nature," France's Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was quoted by Agence France
Presse (AFP) as telling a conference of police and government experts.
According
to the draft terror law, approved by the French cabinet last week, the
number of video-cameras installed in public places in
France
, which currently has only some 60,000 cameras compared to four
million in
Britain
, will be largely increased.
Longer
prison terms for convicts in terrorism cases and the maximum period
for which a suspect can be held without charge, from four to six days
will also be the center stage of the law blue print.
Rail,
maritime and air transport companies would be obliged to supply the
authorities with previously confidential customer information, while
Internet cafes would have to store data about their customers'
connections to the web, according to AFP.
Similar
cases
Several
European countries have introduced extra police measures after the London
bombings last July.
Many
human rights groups said the new laws put at stake personal freedoms
and privacy.
Early
this month, British lawmakers rejected Prime Minister Tony
Blair-backed draft terror law to hold terrorism suspects without
charge for up to 90 days, voting instead for a maximum 28-day period.
Blair's
controversial proposal was defeated by 322 votes to
291 in
the lower House of Commons, his first defeat on a legislative proposal
in parliament since taking office in 1997.
In
Denmark, a bill to increase police powers of surveillance was rejected by
parliament in July.
In
Sweden, which has far less video surveillance of public places than
Britain, a recent study concluded that the current system works well and does
not need to be expanded.
In
Italy, the parliament has given final approval to a package of anti-terror
laws, late in July.
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