Europe in 'state of denial' over role in US rendition and secret detention

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday June 24, 2008 15:15 by John Lannon

Amnesty International today launched a report that sheds further light on the extent of Europe's role in the US-led rendition and secret detention programmes. It also exposes the continuing failure of European states, including Ireland, to admit or investigate violations carried out by their nationals or on their territory.

To underline Irish complicity in illegal rendition and secret detention programmes, Amnesty International’s Executive Director in Ireland, Colm O’Gorman launched the report at Shannon Airport today. He was accompanied by local activists who have been involved in monitoring the movements in and out of Shannon of identified renditions planes.

"European governments are in a state of denial and have been sidestepping the truth for too long," said Amnesty International. "Their involvement in renditions and secret detention runs in stark contrast to their claims to be responsible actors in the fight against terrorism."

The report highlights six cases – involving 13 individuals -- and details the involvement of European states. This ranges from governments permitting CIA flights headed for rendition circuits to use European airports and airspace, as with Shannon Airport, to hosting secret detention centres, or "black sites" and includes the participation by security services from European states in interrogations of their own citizens while concealing their whereabouts from their families.

Colm O'Gorman pointed out that the plane that took Khaled al-Maqtari from Baghdad to Kabul where he entered the CIA's black site detention facilities for almost three years of solitary confinement came from Shannon.The aircraft that took Abu Omar from Germany to Egypt also returned to the US through Shannon. "Ireland has been identified as a likely stopover point by the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe." he said.

The report calls for concerted, Europe-wide, action to ensure an end to these violations.

Press Release: http://www.amnesty.ie/live/irish/article.asp?id=21358&p...ge=00

Full report: http://www.amnesty.ie/amnesty/upload/images/amnesty_ie/...s.pdf