Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin

may 26, 2011, martin scheinin urged tunisia continue reforms , investigate past human rights abuses.

in april 2005, un commission on human rights appointed special rapporteur on promotion , protection of human rights , fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism . three-year appointment, end in 2008, later extended 3 more years, end in 2011.

as special rapporteur on human rights , counter-terrorism, scheinin reported annually both united nations general assembly , united nations human rights council. reports have covered themes such definitions of terrorism, right fair trial in terrorism cases, impact of counter-terrorism measures on economic, social , cultural rights, right privacy in age of counter-terrorism, role of intelligence agencies , oversight in counter-terrorism, , identification of best practice in combating terrorism in full compliance human rights.

some of reports have been commended governments, such related discriminatory profiling or right privacy in context of counter-terrorism. on other occasions, governments have been highly critical reports, such scheinin s analysis of [gender] impact of counter-terrorism measures , proposals of total reform of terrorist listing united nations security council. in fox news channel interview, u.s. senator orrin hatch called scheinin , colleague christof heyns “jerks” sending letter government concerning circumstances of killing of osama bin laden.

as special rapporteur, scheinin member of united nations counter-terrorism implementation task force (ctitf) , conducted number of country visits assess counter-terrorism law , practice of countries such turkey, south africa, united states, israel, spain, egypt, tunisia , peru. part of country missions, visited prisons , observed terrorism trials, such military commission hearings in salim hamdan case in guantanamo bay , jose padilla , ahmed ghailani trials in united states. country visits have resulted in concrete improvements, such repeal of contested presidential decree in peru after visit in september 2010. special rapporteurs can visit country upon invitation of government, scheinin not able obtain access countries such pakistan, philippines, or russian federation.

scheinin s mandate special rapporteur on promotion , protection of human rights , fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism ended on 31 july 2011. succeeded ben emmerson, q.c. (united kingdom of great britain , northern ireland), assumed mandate on 1 august 2011.

since then, scheinin has remained active in issues concerning counter-terrorism , surveillance, academic, expert witness or in media. surveille project endorsed in resolution on mass surveillance adopted european parliament in october 2015. heard expert witness tom lantos human rights commission of congress concerning human rights in north caucasus, inter-american court of human rights in mapuche case , parliament of united kingdom in consideration of investigatory powers bill. work special rapporteur has been cited european court of human rights and, in yassin kadi case, european court of justice.