Pressmeddelande från liberala gruppen i Europaparlamentet 2006-06-07
Malmström:
Council of Europe report on CIA renditions confirms EU responsibility
Liberal and Democrat Members of the European Parliament's committee on alleged CIA flights and secret detention centres, commented today on the presentation of Dick Marty' report (Liberal Party, Switzerland) to the Council of Europe's Legal Affairs committee:
Cecilia MALMSTROM (Folkpartiet, Sweden) and ALDE coordinator on the committee said: "The Council of Europe's report, which elaborates in detail how EU governments have been active in the 'rendition business', confirms the European Parliaments' conclusions so far. Our two institutions need to continue to work closely together in the second phase of establishing evidence".
"The report shows how a 'spider's web' has been spun out in collaboration with many European governments. These conclusions point the finger as much at European governments for their complicity as at the US authorities for their involvement that has resulted in a network of secret detentions and installations across the continent. European governments must now confront their citizens and explain how they have flagrantly violated human rights in their fight against terrorism", she added.
Vice Chair of the EP CIA committee Sarah LUDFORD (Lid Dem, UK) said: "Dick Marty's conclusions reinforce the call in our own interim report for European states to instigate full investigations of their collusion in the numerous illegalities of the 'war on terror'. The weight of direct and circumstantial evidence is now overwhelming. The EU can have no moral authority while states refuse to own up and clean up their act".
"While the charge of secret detention centres in Poland and Romania is the most grave, no less than twelve EU states and four candidate countries are cited for various degrees of complicity. The dam of silence from European governments must break if they are to retain any credibility as upholders of human rights".
The European Parliament's interim report on CIA alleged flights and secret prisons in the EU will be adopted in committee on Monday, 12 June 2006 in Strasbourg.
Karin Berntzon
Politisk handläggare
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