Fri Jun 8, 2007 7:58AM EDT
(Reuters) - A European investigator said on Friday he had proof the CIA ran secret prisons in Poland and Romania to interrogate suspects in its war on terrorism.
At the same time, an Italian court began trying 26 Americans in absentia over the alleged kidnapping and secret transfer of a terrorist suspect in 2003.
Here is chronology of events in the international controversy over CIA secret prisons for terrorist suspects and the use of U.S. "extraordinary renditions" to move detainees covertly around the world.
Nov 2005 - Washington Post reports CIA has been hiding and interrogating al Qaeda captives at secret facilities in Eastern Europe. Other media reports name Poland and Romania, which both deny hosting such centers.
May 2006 - U.S. judge dismisses lawsuit against former head of the CIA and several of its employees by German Khaled el-Masri, who says he was abducted and tortured by the agency, including being held for months in Afghanistan.
June 7, 2006 - Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty says in report that more than 20 countries, mostly in Europe, colluded in a "global spider's web" of secret U.S. CIA prisons and prisoner transfers. But he concedes he cannot prove his allegations that CIA ran secret prisons in Poland and Romania.
June 2006 - European Parliament committee backs draft report saying CIA or other U.S. services have been "directly responsible for the illegal seizure, removal, abduction and detention of terrorist suspects on the territory of (EU) member states".
Amnesty International says there is "irrefutable evidence of European complicity" with illegal U.S. renditions.
July 2006 - In the first arrests anywhere in connection with renditions, Italy arrests two of its intelligence officials for suspected involvement in alleged CIA kidnap of a terrorism suspect, Abu Omar, in Milan in 2003.
September 2006 - President George W. Bush acknowledges CIA has interrogated dozens of suspects at undisclosed overseas locations and says the last 14 of those held have been sent to U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
December 2006 - Italian prosecutors ask a judge to order CIA agents and Italian spies to stand trial over Abu Omar kidnap.
Jan 2007 - German court orders arrest of 13 people, reported to be CIA agents, suspected of involvement in abduction of Khaled el-Masri in 2003-4.
Feb 2007 - European Parliament passes final report, after year of investigations, saying European governments and secret services accepted and concealed secret U.S. flights carrying terrorism suspects across Europe. Spain, Romania, Poland and Italy are among the countries most criticized.
June 2007 - Six human rights groups list 39 people they say have "disappeared" while in U.S. custody.
European investigator says he has proof Poland and Romania housed secret CIA prisons on behalf of the United States.
Twenty six U.S. citizens go on trial in absentia in Milan accused of kidnapping a Muslim in 2003 and flying him to Egypt. Italian spies, including the former head of the SISMI intelligence agency, are accused of helping the U.S. citizens carry out the so-called extraordinary rendition.
Posted by marga at Junio 11, 2007 4:42 PM | TrackBack