Petition for the permanent cessation of Full-Body Scanning at UK airports.

We the undersigned hereby petition the government to stop all Full-Body Scanning procedures at UK
airports. The programme is a clear violation of human rights, is ineffective, and threatens the health and
safety of air travellers and airport staff.

Human Rights Violations

The compulsory full-body scanning process reveals air passengers as if seen naked and therefore violates
Article 8 of the Human Rights Act of 1998 (HRA), the right to privacy(1). The process is also a blatant affront
to Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(2) and Article 8 of the European Convention on
Human Rights(3). As the UN special rapporteur on human rights was quoted, the use of full-body scanners,
“would be a violation of human rights in respect to everyone, but there are particular sensitivities in respect
of women, certain religious, certain cultural backgrounds.”(4)

Wholly inadequate training and vetting inevitably leads to violations in Article 3 of the Human Rights Act,
which protects citizens from degrading treatment(5), as in a case at Heathrow airport earlier this year in which
a security screener was accused of 'ogling' a fellow worker through the device.(6)

Article 9 of the HRA, Freedom of belief, is compromised by the FBS process(7). Massoud Shadjareh, of the
Islamic Human Rights Commission, stated body scanning at airports was “totally unacceptable and
outrageous. And worse, it really doesn’t make any security sense.”(8) In February of this year two British
women were refused the right to board their flight after objecting to being scanned on religious and health
grounds(9). Pope Benedict XVI(10) and Agudath Israel, an Orthodox Jewish group have also spoken out against
the scanners.(11)

The scanning program

me also violates the Protection of Children Act 1978, under which it is illegal to create an indecent image or
a pseudo-image of a child.(12)

Ineffective Technology
This rescinding of rights is utterly unacceptable when the ineffectiveness of FBS is considered. Conservative
MP Ben Wallace, advisor to AIT manufacturer QinetiQ, said the scanners were unlikely to detect explosives
such as PETN(13). The director of Interpol described the technology as flawed(14) and a spokesperson for UK
FBS manufacturer Smiths Detection stated that the technology was not ready to be used as a primary
screening technique yet(15).

Health and Safety

Eminent scientists from the University of California explain how Backscatter radiation (Rapiscan 1000)
cannot be compared to cosmic radiation as in the Health Protection Agency's risk assessment(16). Unlike
cosmic radiation, backscatter scanners are “largely depositing energy into the skin and immediately adjacent
tissue” increasing the risk of cancer and other malformations(17). Nor has any consideration been given to
security screeners working with the vicinity of the scanners(18).

The alternative FBS technology, the so called Millimetre Wave, is also claimed to be a health risk as it can
damage double-stranded DNA(19).

Furthermore, the fact that backscatter FBS in use at UK airports contain radioactive materials and cause
further accumulations at security points could provide terrorist with additional targets.

The new government has pledged to reverse the Orwellian trend in British society. The Deputy Prime
Minister said in his remarks on 19th May that the new coalition would end the culture of spying on its
citizens. Rt Hon Nick Clegg stated, "It is outrageous that ordinary citizens should be treated as if they have
something to hide." We strongly agree and urge you to suspend the Fully Body Scanning programme in the
UK.

Sincerely
1. Article 8 Human Rights Act 1998, Right to respect for private and family life
1 Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.
2 There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance
with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic
well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the
protection of the rights and freedoms of others. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_3

2. Article 12. UN Universal Declaration Declaration of Human Rights

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks
upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12

3. Article 8 European Charter on Fundamental Human Rights (EHRC) Protection of personal data
1. Everyone has the right to the protection of personal data concerning him or her.
2. Such data must be processed fairly for specified purposes and on the basis of the consent of the
person concerned or some other legitimate basis laid down by law. Everyone has the right of access to
data which has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified.
3. Compliance with these rules shall be subject to control by an independent authority.
http://www.eucharter.org/home.php?page_id=15

Full-body scanner use is also in clear violation of Articles 1 of the EHRC (Human dignity), 7 (Respect for Private and
family Life), and 10 (Right to freedom of Religion) as it impedes the following of the teachings of certain religions.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf

4. Martin Scheinin, UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights while countering terrorism
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/terrorism/rapporteur/srchr.htm

5. Article 3 HRA Prohibition of torture

No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_3

6. “Heathrow worker ogled colleague on scanner”, By Rosamond Hutt, PA, The Independent, 24 March 2010
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/heathrow-worker-ogled-colleague-on-scanner-1926289.html

7. Article 9 HRA Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

1 Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion
or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief,
in worship, teaching, practice and observance.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_3

8. Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission in London, quoted as saying that the FBS “don't make any
security sense.”
http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/muslim-women-barred-flying-refusing-scan

9. “Muslim woman barred from flight after refusing body scan” - Telegraph, 3 Mar 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7358967/Muslim-woman-barred-from-flight-after-refusing-body-scan.html

10. The Pope, while addressing a congregation of airport workers at the Vatican, was reported as saying that with “every
action, it is above all essential to protect and value the human person in their integrity. Respecting these principles can
seem particularly complex and difficult in the present context [heightened airport security]”. While FBS were not directly
mentioned,there was a consensus among those present that the Pope was referring to the effect on human rights that the
FBS have.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7285996/Pope-Benedict-XVI-criticises-airport-body-scanners.html

11. In a letter to the US Senate in June 2009, Agudath Israel, which represents traditional American Orthodox communities,
voiced their opposition to FBS.
http://www.forward.com/articles/123364/

Leaders in both Conservative and Orthodox communities are debating how scanners with the ability to see through
clothing intersect with Jewish laws of tzniut, or modesty, which are observed differently among denominations but
generally require Jews to cover their bodies.
http://www.forward.com/articles/123364/

12. Protection of Children Act 1978 CHAPTER 37

An Act to prevent the exploitation of children by making indecent photographs of them; and to penalise the distribution,
showing and advertisement of such indecent photographs.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1978/cukpga_19780037_en_1
13. BBC :Airport body scanners 'unlikely' to foil al-Qaeda – MP
“Mr Wallace said the scanners would probably not have detected the failed Detroit plane plot of Christmas Day. He said
the same of the 2006 airliner liquid bomb plot and of explosives used in the 2005 bombings of three Tube trains and a bus
in London.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8439285.stm

14. Interpol head, Ronald K. Noble criticises FBS use at Davos 2010.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/29/interpol_davos/

15. Colin McSeveny, of Smiths Detection, UK, states that the scanner technology is not yet ready to be used.
http://www.civilliberty.org.uk/newsdetail.php?newsid=798

16. Health protection Agency FBS risk assessment for the DfT. Compares Backscatter radiation of Rapiscan 100 in use at
Manchester and Heathrow airports with cosmic (gamma) radiation.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1262704915658

17. Letter of Concern from group of eminent scientists from the University of California addressed to Dr John Holdren, the
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.
http://www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern.pdf

18. FOI 6176 DfT reply to Adam Woodward 9th March 2010 “What specific tests have been carried out on the long-term
effects of working with said equipment?” DfT response: “We do not hold specific information on the effects of working
with this equipment”

19. (Millimetre Wave Scanners) DNA Breathing Dynamics in the Presence of a Terahertz Field
Millimetre wave radiation “unzips” double-stranded DNA
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0910/0910.5294v1.pdf