The Government has been criticised by the United Nations for introducing laws that have stifled freedom of expression in the UK.

* In todays Britain, its more important to  allow  Muhammedan infil-traitors their religious freedom to bomb us into submission than to resist their subversive activities, i.e. the spread of islam…

By Sarah Knapton/Telegraph, UK

A report from the UN’s committee on human rights hit out at Britain’s terror and libel laws and use of the Offical Secrets Act.

The UN said provisions under the Terrorism Act 2006 covering encouragement of terrorism are too “broad and vague” which could infringe on freedom of expression. Under the new law people convicted of encouragement of terrorism face up to seven years in jail even if they did not intend to incite violence.

“In particular, a person can commit the offence even when he or she did not intend members of the public to be directly or indirectly encouraged by his or her statement to commit acts of terrorism, but where his or her statement was understood by some members of the public as encouragement to commit such acts,” concluded the committee.

The body also said tough libel laws should be reformed to end “libel tourism” – where people come to the UK to sue over articles they would not be able to pursue in their own countries.

* Hmm, one would have to look at the exact wording of that. This could be a good thing if it means what it should, Rachel Ehrenfeld would be pleased…

And it said the use of the Official Secrets Act was gagging civil servants from bringing issues of genuine public interest to wider attention even when national security was not at risk.

The criticisms came as part of the committee’s analysis into human rights in the UK.

But the body welcomed the government’s abolition of common-law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel in England and Wales and the adoption of the civil partnership act recognising unions between gay and lesbian couples.

More ‘sensitive police-raids’ in the UK:

Terror police swoop to arrest three

The Press Association

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of terror charges – two of them at Manchester Airport, Lancashire Police said.

The third man was arrested in the Accrington area – and police were searching the men’s homes in Blackburn.

The men are of Asian origin and aged 21, 22 and 23, Lancashire Police said.

Local people said the searches had been carried out in the Whalley Road area of the town.

Resident Omar Hussain, who lives in Whalley Road, said: “I came in and there were police officers outside. They handed me a leaflet saying ‘don’t be worried, they’re just looking into the neighbourhood, there have been three terror arrests’.

“It was quite hard to see which houses because there were crowds of people outside, and two police cars and a van. It’s really worrying that it’s so close. It’s like ‘oh my God, who is it?’ You can’t believe it’s actually happening on your street, in your community.”

Accrington councillor Doreen Pollitt was surprised to learn one of the men was arrested in the area. She said: “The majority of our community here are Kashmiri. We have never had any problems, and have a very good relationship with the Kashmiri Community, and have done so for a very long time.”

Bill Crawshaw, terminal duty manager at Manchester Airport, said: “This has had no effect on the airport. It is a total police operation and we didn’t even know that it had happened until afterwards.”

The arrests followed a joint operation by Lancashire Police and Greater Manchester Police Counter Terrorism Unit.

Chief Supt Andy Rhodes, divisional commander for eastern division at Lancashire Police, said: “These arrests and subsequent searches of the nearby premises will be conducted with sensitivity and carried out as quickly as possible to ensure minimum impact on the three areas concerned.”