Renditions in and through Europe (Postcard)

LIBRARY AMERICAS NORTH AMERICA USA
AI Index: IOR 61/014/2007 1 June 2007

Renditions in and through Europe

AI Index: IOR 61/014/2007

[pages 1 and 4]
[Air Torture logo]
www.amnesty.org/stopabductions

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[page 2]
[Air Torture logo]
www.amnesty.org/stopabductions

Renditions in and through Europe

Hundreds of people are feared to have been unlawfully detained and transferred, usually in secret, to countries where they face further human rights violations, including torture or other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance. Some victims of this US-led practice, known as rendition, have ended up in official US detention centres, such as Guantánamo Bay. Others have disappeared after being arrested by US agents or turned over to US custody.

The Council of Europe, in 2006, as well as the European Parliament, in February 2007, confirmed Amnesty International’s conclusions that some European Union (EU) Member States had been complicit in the US programme of renditions. They also recommended measures to prevent the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from pursuing this practice on European territory.

Amnesty International calls on the EU and all European governments to take steps to ensure that international counter-terrorism measures do not lead to individuals being subjected to rendition, secret or arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance or other serious human rights violations.

AI Index: IOR 61/014/2007

[page 3]
Dear Prime Minister,

I am deeply concerned about the role that some EU Member States have played in the US-led
programme of renditions.

Investigations carried out by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament found that
some EU Member States had been complicit in renditions and recommended measures to
prevent renditions in or through Europe in future. I am deeply troubled that none of the
recommendations has been implemented to date.

In view of Portugal’s Presidency of the EU, from July to December 2007, I urge you to ensure
that the EU Council publicly condemns rendition and that the recommendations of the European Parliament are implemented, including by ensuring that:

the EU does not allow foreign intelligence agencies to operate without effective control in
its territory;

Member States establish independent parliamentary and/or judicial inquiries into allegations
of co-operation in renditions;

all Member States provide accurate and thorough information on rendition and secret detention to the EU Council and the EU Commission.

Respectfully,

Name
Country
Date

Prime Minister José Sócrates
Rua da Imprensa à Estrela
4-1200-888
Lisboa
Portugal

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AI Index: IOR 61/014/2007

1 June 2007

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