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28th Mar 2024

Brussels dismisses calls for enquiry into alleged CIA jails

  • Commissioner Frattini -"can we seize classified files of the CIA?" (Photo: European Commission)

The European Commission rejected MEPs' calls for a formal and in-depth investigation into alleged CIA prisons on EU territory, claiming it has no competency for such a move.

Speaking before the European Parliament on Monday (14 November), justice commissioner Franco Frattini said the commission had seen "no evidence" for allegations that the US intelligence branch, the CIA, has detained top Al Qaeda suspects somewhere in eastern Europe.

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The Washington Post reported earlier this month on the existence of the camps, with leading NGO Human Rights Watch subsequently earmarking EU member state Poland and candidate state Romania as likely locations for the camps.

The Washington Post and Human Rights Watch say that detainees in the centres are subject to the CIA’s "special interrogation techniques" which involve torture.

But commissioner Frattini shrugged off MEPs' calls for a thorough investigation into the matter, after several parliamentarians had called for more action from the EU executive.

Mr Frattini said the only thing the commission could do was to continue its "ongoing dialogue" with member states, NGOs, and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, which started its own investigation last week.

A formal commission enquiry into the matter is "not authorised by the [EU] treaty," the commissioner said, explaining that the commission could not be compared to a national prosecutor that could seek information.

"We are in a position to put questions, but can we seize classified files of the CIA? No, sorry, that is not possible," he said.

However, the commissioner used strong language to say that if the reports were proved true, the European states concerned would face grave consequences.

"Were these events to have occurred, then clearly this would constitute a grave infringement of the values and rules of the European Union," he stated.

"Such a serious breach…may lead to serious political sanctions to be taken against a member state of the European Union," the commissioner added.

MEPs uneasy

But many centre-left and liberal MEPs were dissatisfied with Brussels’ passive stance on the issue.

Sarah Ludford, a UK liberal, said "The commissioner said there is no evidence. But what has he done to find out? I am left with a sense of unease and residual doubt."

French Green MEP Helene Flautre told the commissioner "You should carry out an investigation and go to the bottom of this matter."

UK Labour MEP Claude Moraes pointed to the fact that Condoleeza Rice, the US foreign secretary, has meanwhile started an investigation on the CIA leaks to the Washington Post.

Mr Moraes said "While Condoleeza Rice has started an investigation into what it considers as serious leaks, you are not investigating this. We need an investigation."

Nordic CIA route

Meanwhile, an increasing number of reports have emerged in the European press on CIA planes using European airports to carry terror suspects.

According to Swedish news agency TT, at least two airplanes hired by the CIA have landed at Swedish airports.

A plane with registration number N50BH, landed in June 2002 at the Stockholm airport of Arlanda, only later to appear in Norway and then Iceland.

According to American media, the same plane has landed at least seven times in Guantanamo Bay, the base where the US holds most Al Qaeda captives.

And a Spanish national court is set to investigate whether the CIA was routing planes carrying terror suspects through the island of Majorca, as part of its so-called rendition program, involving secret kidnappings of terror suspects.

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