European Union of Torture
reuters: Europe complicit in CIA "dirty work": investigator
A Swiss investigator said on Friday European governments had been complicit in illegal CIA activities in the "war on terror", after reports that the Americans ran secret prisons in Europe.
Swiss senator Dick Marty, investigating the allegations for the 46-nation rights group Council of Europe, said he was personally convinced of the existence of the detention centers but had yet to come up with concrete proof.
"It's not possible to transport people from one place to another in such a manner without the secret services knowing about it," he said. "What was shocking was the passivity with which we all, in Europe, have welcomed these things."
Marty is to present a preliminary report to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on January 23 over reports the Americans ran centers in eastern Europe where suspects where interrogated, tortured or transported to other countries in a process Washington calls "rendition".
"Europeans should be less hypocritical and not turn a blind eye," he said at a news briefing. "There are those who do the dirty work abroad but there are also those who know when they should close their eyes when that dirty work is being done."
Marty referred to the case of an Egyptian cleric alleged to have been kidnapped by the CIA in Milan in 2003 and transported to Egypt, where the man later said he was tortured.
"EMPTY ROOMS"
A Milan court last month issued a European arrest warrant for 22 CIA agents suspected of involvement in the case. Italy's government has strongly denied knowledge of the operation.
The Milan case is one of several investigations into whether U.S. agents used Europe to illegally transfer militant suspects to third countries for interrogation.
"The proof is completely clear and the CIA has never denied it," Marty said.
Romania, Poland and others have denied they let the United States hold terrorism suspects on their territory. The U.S. government has neither denied nor confirmed the reports of secret jails, first made by the Washington Post in November.
"This is not just a problem for Romania and Poland," Marty said. "It's not acceptable to criminalise these two countries. It's all Europe which has been willingly silent on the matter."
Marty said he was convinced of the existence of secret U.S. detention centers in Europe. But his investigation would probably not be completed for another 12 months as he seeks more evidence.
"It's not like Guantanamo Bay," he said, but more like "empty rooms where people have been interrogated or tortured or taken somewhere else". Link
A Swiss investigator said on Friday European governments had been complicit in illegal CIA activities in the "war on terror", after reports that the Americans ran secret prisons in Europe.
Swiss senator Dick Marty, investigating the allegations for the 46-nation rights group Council of Europe, said he was personally convinced of the existence of the detention centers but had yet to come up with concrete proof.
"It's not possible to transport people from one place to another in such a manner without the secret services knowing about it," he said. "What was shocking was the passivity with which we all, in Europe, have welcomed these things."
Marty is to present a preliminary report to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on January 23 over reports the Americans ran centers in eastern Europe where suspects where interrogated, tortured or transported to other countries in a process Washington calls "rendition".
"Europeans should be less hypocritical and not turn a blind eye," he said at a news briefing. "There are those who do the dirty work abroad but there are also those who know when they should close their eyes when that dirty work is being done."
Marty referred to the case of an Egyptian cleric alleged to have been kidnapped by the CIA in Milan in 2003 and transported to Egypt, where the man later said he was tortured.
"EMPTY ROOMS"
A Milan court last month issued a European arrest warrant for 22 CIA agents suspected of involvement in the case. Italy's government has strongly denied knowledge of the operation.
The Milan case is one of several investigations into whether U.S. agents used Europe to illegally transfer militant suspects to third countries for interrogation.
"The proof is completely clear and the CIA has never denied it," Marty said.
Romania, Poland and others have denied they let the United States hold terrorism suspects on their territory. The U.S. government has neither denied nor confirmed the reports of secret jails, first made by the Washington Post in November.
"This is not just a problem for Romania and Poland," Marty said. "It's not acceptable to criminalise these two countries. It's all Europe which has been willingly silent on the matter."
Marty said he was convinced of the existence of secret U.S. detention centers in Europe. But his investigation would probably not be completed for another 12 months as he seeks more evidence.
"It's not like Guantanamo Bay," he said, but more like "empty rooms where people have been interrogated or tortured or taken somewhere else". Link
posted by exoplanet at 11:46 PM
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