Controversial bill allowing rape and murder passes

Murtaza Jaffer
Press TV, London

Outrage rising among campaigners and human rights defenders after the British Parliament rejected any amendments to the controversial human intelligence security bill which gives undercover agents the green light to commit crimes including rape and murder in the interest of the state.

The British Parliament has rejected an amendment which aimed to limit the actions of undercover government operatives under a new Human Intelligence Security Bill which seeks to give agents the permission to commit crimes including murder, torture and rape in the interest of national security.

Controversy also surrounds the definition of national security. Under the new bill this includes preventing disorder as well as maintaining the economic well being of the United Kingdom. In essence the permission to commit crimes to maintain profit.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has also come under scrutiny after he whipped his MP’s to abstain from the vote, effectively giving the government a free pass to push the bill through. A number of Labour MP’s rebelled and voted with their conscience including former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Conservative former minister David Davis who supports the motion tabled an amendment sighting allies the US and Canada who have “specific limits” on the crimes their agents can commit. He too was defeated.

Maya Foa, director of the legal charity Reprieve - who have launched legal action against intelligence services the MI5 said: “Without limits on the crimes agents can commit this bill is wide open to abuse - and history suggests this will result in terrible harm."

The bill will now be debated in the house of Lords, if successful it will pass into law giving state actors legal rights unseen in any western liberal democracy.

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