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European Parliament says CIA "directly responsible" for illegal abductions and renditions in Europe

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, June 13, IRNA
EP-CIA-Rendition flights
The US secret service, CIA, was "directly responsible" for extraordinary rendition, illegal seizure, removal, abduction and detention of terrorist suspects on EU territory," according to the European Parliament's (EP) Temporary Committee investigating the use of European countries by the CIA for rendition.

The committee report, drawn up by Italian MEP Claudio Fava, was adopted by 25 votes in favor to 14 against with 7 abstentions on Monday, said an EP statement.

The report said the CIA used aircraft hired by front companies for the illegal transfer of terrorism suspects to countries which frequently use torture during interrogations on their territory.

MEPs on the 45-member committee warn that EU states "may be held liable" for their failure to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Having "shown the need to carry out further checks," the EP's Temporary Committee aims to continue its work for the remainder of its 12-month term.

MEPs now propose to invite the secretary-general of NATO to a hearing to clarify the possible involvement of SFOR and KFOR troops in the illegal detention of six Bosnians, who remain in the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

The report calls for the closure of Guantanamo and asks member states to take "a pro-active role" in finding a solution to the issue of detainees.

The report stresses the need to "ascertain whether there is any evidence to confirm that secret prisons have been operating in some European countries."
It is "implausible," say the MEPs, "that certain European governments were not aware of the activities linked to extraordinary rendition taking place on their territory."
Such involvement or complicity, they argue, was likely on the part of Italian authorities in the 2003 abduction of Egyptian cleric Abu Omar by CIA agents in Milan, on the part of Bosnian authorities in the abduction and transfer of six Bosnian nationals or residents of Algerian origin to Guantanamo Bay, and on the part of Swedish authorities who expelled Egyptian nationals Mohammed Al Zary and Ahmed Agiza who were handed over to CIA agents for transfer to Egypt.

European governments are also criticized for their solicitation of "diplomatic assurances" against torture -- a practice the committee labels as "unacceptable" and contradictory to EU policy guidelines on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Last week, the Council of Europe, a pan-European human rights body, said 14 European states colluded in a "global spider's web" of secret CIA prisons and renditions.

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