Council of Europe CIA Report: European governments accomplices of illegal CIA activities

Commenting on the presentation of the report on CIA activities in Europe by Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty today, Green MEPs Cem Özdemir, Vice-President of the European Parliament CIA Committee, and Kathalijne Buitenweg, Greens/EFA co-ordinator for the CIA Committee, said:

"Today's report by the Council of Europe on CIA activities in Europe paints a grim picture and ends any remaining doubt about the complicity of European governments in illegal CIA activities. These governments now have an obligation to explain to their citizens why they violated fundamental rights in support of the US's 'war on terrorism'.

"The report underlines the need for the European Parliament committee on CIA activities to continue its work. Those EU Member States and political groups, which have sought to obstruct a thorough investigation of CIA abuses, must now stop hindering the process.

"In all countries mentioned in the report, national inquiry committees should immediately be established, to bring to light the whole truth about the scandalous cooperation of European governments with the illegal activities of the CIA. We call upon the prosecutors in the countries concerned to start investigations on the allegations, as has already been done in Italy.

"In the future, the Chicago Convention on International Aviation, which also defines the control rights of countries, has to be strictly applied. From now on member states have to check carefully, if civil aircrafts are used for purposes, which are incompatible with human rights standards. It is hard to understand why, up to now, no European country has applied such checks.

"It is telling that it took European institutions - the Council of Europe and the European Parliament - to shed light on the illegal CIA activities and the involvement of European governments in those activities. This strengthens the call for the European Charter of Fundamental Rights should be made legally binding as soon as possible."

Editors notes:

The report states that rendition missions were launched from airports in Germany, Spain, Turkey and Azerbaijan, while airports in Ireland, Italy, Greece and the Czech Republic were used for re-fuelling. Abductions took place in Sweden, Macedonia, Italy and in Bosnia Herzegovina. The report also contains evidence to support previous suspicions that secret CIA camps were set up in Poland and Romania.

Source: www.greens-efa.org/cms/pressreleases/dok/127/127534.council_of_europe_cia_report@en.htm