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AMR 51/138/2001

167/01

In the aftermath of the appalling loss of human life resulting

from the 11 September attacks in the USA, the world stands at a

crossroads, Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty

International warned today.

"As an international community we can choose a path which

honours our highest values and respects the human rights of all

people, or one that seeks revenge and allows the perpetrators to

set the moral tone of the world's agenda."

Arguing that what happens in the coming days and weeks

may have profound consequences for the world, Irene Khan urged

the international community to pursue every measure possible to

bring the perpetrators to justice before resorting to armed

intervention. She said, "The perpetrators must be brought to

justice but it will only be justice if the means by which it is

achieved are in themselves just and uphold the human rights of

all people."

Writing to the United Nations Security Council, Amnesty

International again condemned the attacks in the US and said, "We

strongly urge the Security Council to ensure that in the search

for justice, states exhaust all measures to apprehend and

prosecute the suspected perpetrators without risking the lives,

well-being or human rights of civilian populations."

Amnesty International welcomes the Presidential statement

from the Security Council on Tuesday (18th September) noting a

variety of options for bringing Usama bin Laden to justice, and

added, "The international community must invest its resources and

imagination in finding other means of achieving justice in full

accordance with human rights standards in this case, before

resorting to armed intervention. The victims of this appalling

crime deserve justice not revenge."

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