Amnesty
International has called on European nations to admit their involvement in operations
of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that included torture of inmates.
The UK-based group’s counter-terrorism and human rights
expert Julia Hall said on Tuesday that the governments could no longer “rely on
unsubstantiated 'national security' grounds and claims of state secrecy to hide
the truth about their roles in the torture and disappearance of people.”
She also urged justice for all the detainees who have
suffered the ghastly practices such as waterboarding, sexual assault, as well
as mock executions.
The call came following the release of a report by the US
Senate that painted a gruesome picture of how the CIA tormented those suspected
of committing acts of terror. The damning report also shed light on British spy
agencies’ role in the inhumane practices as London is Washington's closest
partner in the so-called "War on Terror.”
The Senate report made it crystal clear that foreign
governments “were essential to the 'success' of the CIA operations,” Hall
further said.
No European countries have been
explicitly named in the US report. However, Amnesty says based on its research,
Poland, Romania, and Lithuania allowed the CIA to run secret detention sites on
their soil while British agents were involved in torture.
The results of a parliamentary probe into allegations of
British cooperation with Washington in torture will be published at end of
2015. Nevertheless, the rights group believes the investigation is “not
independent.”
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