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The comment below is by Amnesty International’s interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone.

There has been a lot of controversy in the media surrounding Amnesty International’s work with Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners, in light of statements by Gita Sahgal, an Amnesty International staff member.

Contrary to Gita Sahgal’s assertions to the media, she was not suspended from Amnesty International for raising these issues internally. In fact, we actively welcome vigorous internal debate.  Up to now we have maintained confidentiality in line with our policy but wanted to correct this misrepresentation. This is not a reflection of the organisation’s respect for her work as a women’s rights activist and does not undermine the work she has done over the last few years as the head of Amnesty International’s gender unit.  

Our work with Moazzam Begg has focused exclusively on highlighting the human rights violations committed in Guantánamo Bay and the need for the US government to shut it down and either release or put on trial those who have been held there. Moazzam Begg was one of the first detainees released by the US without charge, and has never been charged with any terrorist-related offence or put on trial.

When President Obama promised to close Guantánamo, Amnesty International hoped that we could wind down our campaign and focus more broadly on human rights abuses related to security and terrorism. However, as that promise remains unmet, Amnesty International continues to work with Moazzam Begg and other former detainees to ask European governments to accommodate those who cannot be returned to their country of citizenship without risk of torture or ill-treatment.

In this complex and polarised world, we at Amnesty International face the challenge of  communicating clearly the scope of our work with individuals and groups. Amnesty International champions and continues to champion Moazzam Begg’s rights as a former detainee at Guantánamo. He speaks about his own views and experiences, not Amnesty International’s. And Moazzam Begg has never used a platform he shared with Amnesty to speak against the rights of others.

Amnesty International has a long history of demanding justice – in the case of our Counter Terror with Justice Campaign we called for both an end to human rights abuses at Guantánamo and other locations, and called for those detained there to be brought to justice, in fair trials that respected due process.

However, our work for justice and human rights spans a far wider range of issues than counter-terrorism and security. Amnesty International has done considerable research on the Taleban and campaigns to stop violence against women and to promote women’s equality. We continue to take a strong line against abuses by religiously-based insurgent groups and/or governments imposing religious strictures, Islamic or otherwise, in violation of human rights law. Sometimes the people whose rights we defend may not share each other’s views – but they all have human rights, and all human rights are worth defending.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/usa-gitmo-cells-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/strongemquot;A commitment to human rights starts with universal standards and with holding everyone accountable to those standards, including ourselveshellip; When injustice anywhere is ignored, justice everywhere is denied. Acknowledging and remedying mistakes does not make us weaker, it reaffirms the strengths of our principles and institutions.quot;/em/strongbr /
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Not Amnesty International’s words, but those of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month in an address on the Obama administration’s quot;Human Rights Agenda for the 21stCenturyquot;. – Accountability, she said, was elemental to the administration’s approach, and it was under this principle that President Barack Obama had ordered an end to CIA torture and closure of the Guantaacute;namo detention facility.br /
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While Secretary Clinton’s words are welcome, the fact is that a year into the new administration, almost 200 individuals remain detained without fair trial at the Guantaacute;namo prison camp, and accountability and remedy for the human rights violations committed against these and other detainees in what the USA previously called the quot;war on terrorquot; remain more myth than reality.br /
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It is nearly eight years, for example, since Abu Zubaydah was arrested in Pakistan. He was hidden away in secret CIA custody for the first four and a half years, subjected to torture and enforced disappearance, crimes under international law for which no-one has been brought to justice. For the past three years he has been in Guantaacute;namo, still held without charge or access to remedy. The Obama administration continues to resist disclosure of what happened to him and others held in secret CIA custody.br /
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Information which the administration had wanted to keep classified emerged in federal court earlier this month in the case of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, namely that he had been subjected to quot;enhanced interrogation techniquesquot; for 14 hours over five days at some point in secret CIA custody.br /
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In its written briefing to the court, the Obama administration argued that its predecessor had quot;justifiablyquot; treated Ghailani as an quot;intelligence assetquot; rather than a criminal defendant, despite a pre-existing indictment in US federal court against him at the time of his arrest in Pakistan in 2004.br /
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It added that the Bush administration had made the quot;entirely reasonablequot; decision to continue to hold Ghailani without charge as an quot;enemy combatantquot;. Ahmed Ghailani was held in secret CIA custody for two years, and in Guantaacute;namo for nearly three more years, before being transferred to New York for trial in June 2009. No one has been brought to account for the human rights violations perpetrated against him.br /
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The impunity goes well beyond abuses in the CIA programme. Shortly before President Obama took office, for example, the Bush administration’s Convening Authority for military commissions confirmed that Saudi Arabian national Mohamed al Qahtani had been tortured in military custody at Guantaacute;namo. Despite this admission, a year later, with Mohamed al Qahtani still held without charge in Guantaacute;namo, no criminal investigation is known to have been opened into the torture allegations.br /
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Earlier this month, a US federal judge found quot;crediblequot; the allegations that Yemeni national Musa’ab al Madhwani had been subjected to acts amounting to torture and other ill-treatment in a secret US facility in Kabul before his transfer to Guantaacute;namo where he remains detained without charge more than seven years later.br /
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What accountability will there be for this abuse? None, it would seem, unless the current administration has a rethink about whether accountability and adherence to the USA’s international human rights obligations will truly be among its governing principles.br /
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In litigation implicating the USA’s international obligations to ensure accountability and remedy for past human rights violations, the Obama administration has all too often adopted a stance that promotes impunity and blocks remedy. For example, in its first year it has:br /
ul
liinvoked the state secrets privilege to seek dismissal of a lawsuit brought by five detainees for the human rights violations, including crimes under international law, they say they were subjected to in the CIA quot;renditionquot; programme;/li
liopposed a lawsuit brought by four UK nationals for the torture and arbitrary detention to which they say they were subjected in Guantaacute;namo, the administration arguing that it was quot;not clearly establishedquot; at the time of the men’s detention that they had the rights they said were violated and that the officials concerned were therefore quot;shieldedquot; from civil liability. In December, the US Supreme Court sided with the administration and declined to take the case;/li
liintervened to petition a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against John Yoo, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Justice Department, for the role the lawsuit claims he played in unlawful detention conditions and interrogation techniques. The Obama administration argued that the context of quot;the detention and treatment of those determined to be enemies during an armed conflicthellip; implicating matters of national security and war powersquot; counselled against the quot;judicial creation of a money-damage remedyquot;;/li
limaintained the Bush administration’s denial of and opposition to access to lawyers and courts for those held at the US airbase in Bagram in Afghanistan, cementing the accountability gap for abuses committed there and the detaineesrsquo; lack of effective remedy for them;/li
lirefused to release of photographs and other documentary material relating to detainee abuses./li
/ul
When the USA assumed its seat on the UN Human Rights Council in 2009, the Obama administration said: quot;Make no mistake; the United States will not look the other way in the face of serious human rights abuses. The truth must be told, the facts brought to light and the consequences facedquot;. A year on, the administration continues to look the other way when it comes to full disclosure of and remedy for human rights violations perpetrated by the USA in the name of quot;countering terrorismquot;.br /
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The change of tone the Obama administration has brought to the USA’s pronouncements on human rights is welcome. It must now match these words with concrete action, including on accountability, remedy, and ending the Guantaacute;namo detentions in line with its international human rights obligations.

Leading human rights organizations have urged more European states to accept detainees held at the US detention centre at Guantaacute;namo who cannot be returned to their countries of origin for fear of torture or other human rights violations.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
On the eighth anniversary of the first transfers to Guantaacute;namo, the organisations urged other countries, including Germany, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg to do more to aid the transfer of roughly 50 such men who remain trapped after years of unlawful detention. br /
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ldquo;Although several countries have already led the way, it is disappointing that only a few European governments have stepped forward to help those in need of protection,rdquo; said Sharon Critoph, Campaigner on the US at Amnesty International ldquo;Amongst those governments which have failed to assist are those previously most vocal in calling for Guantaacute;namo to be closed.rdquo; br /
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Reprieve, the Center for Constitutional Rights and former Guantaacute;namo detainee Moazzam Begg of the organization Cage Prisoners are today beginning a tour across Europe urging more states to offer the men a safe haven. The tour will be hosted by Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s national sections. br /
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These men remain detained for the sole reason that they have no safe place to go. They have been essentially abandoned at Guantaacute;namo. The plight of these men poses one of the most significant obstacles to the closure of the detention centre. br /
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A number of European states have already taken the commendable step of offering a safe haven to such detainees, in line with the stated aims of the EU-US joint agreement on the closure of Guantaacute;namo. These include France, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary and Belgium.On this important anniversary, human rights groups are urging others to follow suit. br /
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The men come from countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Syria, China and Russia, where they will be at serious risk of torture or other human rights violations if returned.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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The US government has been seeking safe countries willing to offer these men an opportunity to rebuild their lives and is primarily responsible for finding solutions for all those held at Guantaacute;namo. br /
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The international community which has repeatedly called for the detention centrersquo;s closure can however help in realizing this aim by offering a safe haven to some of these men. br /
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Guantaacute;namo remains a stark symbol of injustice.nbsp; Human rights groups have expressed concern that the detention facility will remain open past 22 January 2010, the date by which US President Barack Obama had pledged to close it.nbsp; Unless more European countries step forward now to help, some of the most vulnerable detainees remain at serious risk of forcible return to abuse. br /
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»The last decade saw the erosion of the rule of law and international respect for human rights. Guantaacute;namo stands for all that went wrong and it must now be closedrsquo;rsquo; said Sophie Weller of the Center for Constitutional Rights.lsquo;lsquo;The men who remain detained because they lack a safe haven continue, every day to pay the human price for delay and inaction in achieving this aim.rdquo; br /
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ldquo;Many European governments have condemned the ongoing detention of prisoners at Guantaacute;namo Bay. Now they can do something about it,rdquo; said Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve. ldquo;Actions really do speak louder than words in this case; its time to turn the rhetoric into reality and get Guantaacute;namo closed as soon as possible.rdquo; br /
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Background information br /
The human rights organisations welcomed the actions of those countries which have already come forward to assist ndash; such as France, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary – but expressed disappointment that others had not taken concrete steps in line with the EU-US Joint Statement on the Closure of Guantaacute;namo Bay. The statement, issued on 16 June 2009, expressed the readiness of certain EU Member States to assist with the reception of former detainees on a case-by-case basis. br /
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Nearly seven months since this statement was issued, only seven former detainees have been welcomed into Europe as free men. A further ten have been sent to Palau and Bermuda, and two have been transferred to Italy for possible trial. Approximately 50 more still need protection.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
The tour will include visits to a number of European countries – including Luxembourg, Sweden and Germany – which could provide safe and appropriate reception for detainees from Guantaacute;namo, giving them the chance to rebuild their lives. br /
br /
The organizations will also be calling on government officials in countries which have already accepted detainees to share expertise, encouragement and examples of good practice with their counterparts in countries which may be considering following suit. br /
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There are 198 prisoners in total still held in Guantaacute;namo.

For the first time a European government has admitted that a secret ldquo;black siterdquo; existed on its territory, after a Lithuanian parliamentary committee concluded that a CIA secret prison operated in Lithuania during the US-led ldquo;war on terrorrdquo;. br /
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ldquo;Confirmation of the existence of a secret prison in Lithuania marks a modern low point for human rights protection in Europe,rdquo; said Julia Hall, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s expert on counter-terrorism in Europe. br /
br /
ldquo;But the Lithuanian inquiry signals a turning point in the quest for the truth about what role European states played in helping the USA in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Other European governments should take note and commit to full investigations of similar serious allegations.rdquo;nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
The Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence issued a report stating that officials from the Lithuanian State Security Department assisted in constructing a secret prison for terrorist suspects on the countryrsquo;s territory. br /
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Many detainees held at such secret sites were victims of enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment by US agents, often with the cooperation and assistance of foreign governments. br /
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The committee concluded that CIA airplanes had landed in Lithuania without border checks and claimed that Lithuanian State Security Department officials had failed to notify the president or the prime minister in violation of Lithuanian law. br /
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ldquo;The Lithuanian government should have known what its own agencies were doing and is ultimately responsible for the secret prison and any human rights violations that may have taken place there,quot; said Julia Hall. nbsp;br /
br /
ldquo;The inquiryrsquo;s findings are only a first step toward accountability. The investigation in Lithuania should continue and those persons responsible for any involvement in the secret site must be identified and prosecuted.rdquo; br /
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Poland and Romania have also been named by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe as allegedly having hosted secret detention facilities for the CIA. br /
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ldquo;It is high time that European governments review and tighten civilian control over intelligence and security agencies. It is not enough for governments to claim that they did not know what their security apparatus was up to,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/lithuania-president-100.jpg alt= title= /br/The Lithuanian government must ensure that its inquiry into allegations
that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated a secret prison
on Lithuanian soil sets an example in Europe for accountability for
human rights abuses, said Amnesty International.br /
br /
A Lithuanian parliamentary committee is currently investigating these allegations and its report is due to be issued next week.br /
br /
Ahead of the report’s release, Amnesty International wrote a letter to
the head of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and
Defence, which is conducting the inquiry. The organizationnbsp; reiterated
its call for a full, effective, independent and impartial investigation
into the allegations of a CIA quot;black sitequot; in Lithuania and the
possible role that Lithuanian officials may have played in the prison’s
operation.br /
br /
Amnesty International said that the Lithuanian investigation should
ensure that, if the evidence points to the existence of a secret
prison, quot;those responsible for human rights violations are held to
account.quot;br /
br /
quot;The Lithuanian inquiry should chart a new course for truth-telling and
accountability in Europe with respect to human rights violations
committed in the context of the US-led ‘war on terror’.quot; said Julia
Hall, Amnesty International’s expert on counter-terrorism in Europe.br /
br /
quot;The evidence that secret prisons existed in Europe is compelling and
the governments at the centre of these allegations must respond by
effectively investigating the charges. We urge Lithuania to meet that
challenge,quot; said Julia Hall.br /
br /
Many detainees held at such secret sites, known as quot;black sitesquot;, were
victims of unlawful rendition, enforced disappearance, torture and
other ill-treatment by US agents, often with the cooperation and
assistance of foreign governments.br /
br /
Poland and Romania have also been named by the European Parliament and
the Council of Europe as allegedly having provided secret detention
facilities for the CIA.br /
br /
quot;If the Lithuanians fail to conduct this inquiry in a thorough manner,
it will send a signal to other governments that they can effectively
ignore charges of serious human rights abuses,quot; said Julia Hall.
quot;Lithuania’s efforts can and should set the standard in Europe for real
accountability.quot;br /
br /
The allegations against Lithuania were first made by US television
network ABC News in August. The story quoted unnamed CIA sources as
saying that Lithuania provided a detention facility outside the
capital, Vilnius, where ldquo;high valuerdquo; detainees were held and questioned
in secret by the CIA until December 2005.br /
br /
Following ABC News’ allegations, Amnesty International wrote to
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on 8 September, urging her to
ensure that any investigation of the allegations be prompt, thorough,
independent, and impartial.br /
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The organization pointed out that the duty to investigate charges of
such serious human rights abuses is an obligation under international
law and includes guaranteeing that perpetrators are held accountable,
victims are provided with redress and measures are taken to prevent
such violations in the future.br /
br /
A reply dated 17 September said that preliminary inquiries made by
parliamentary committees to Lithuanian security officials and other
agencies had indicated that no secret site existed.nbsp; In November, the
Lithuanian parliament issued a mandate for a full parliamentary
inquiry, indicating that those initial inquiries were not sufficient. br /
br /
A November follow-up report by ABC News claimed that unnamed Lithuanian
officials provided ABC News with documents from a quot;CIA front companyquot;
indicating that it purchased a former riding academy in Antiviliai,
outside Vilnius, and used it to construct the quot;black sitequot; in 2004.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/guantanamo100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Amnesty International has urged the Italian government to ensure that two recently released former Guantaacute;namo Bay detainees receive fair trials in Italy and are not sent back to Tunisia where they would be at risk of torture. br /
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Tunisian nationals Adel Ben Mabrouk and Riadh Nasseri are suspected of having committed terrorism-related crimes in Italy prior to their detention at the US detention centre at Guantaacute;namo Bay. br /
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They were taken into custody on their arrival in Italy in November after having spent over seven years without charge or trial at Guantnamo Bay. br /
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quot;Adel Ben Mabrouk and Riadh Nasseri endured years of illegal detention in conditions that amounted to ill-treatment. They will be in urgent need of appropriate psychological and medical services,quot; said Julia Hall, Amnesty International’s expert on counter-terrorism in Europe. br /
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quot;The Italian government should take immediate measures to make sure that these men are not subject to further human rights violations.quot; br /
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Amnesty International has called on the Italian authorities to ensure that the men are lawfully detained. br /
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The organization said that the authorities should evaluate the evidence against the men to ensure that any testimony extracted under torture or ill-treatment is not used in any criminal prosecution against them.br /
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It also said that the authorities should refrain from withholding evidence on the basis of national security and provide compensation for the men if Italy was involved in their on-going detentions or other ill-treatment at Guantaacute;namo Bay. br /
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quot;If the Italian authorities were involved in intelligence sharing with the USA or other activities that contributed to the menrsquo;s unlawful detention and other violations of their rights at Guantaacute;namo Bay, then they should be held accountable,quot; said Julia Hall. br /
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Amnesty International has also urged the Italian authorities to guarantee that Adel Ben Mabrouk and Riadh Nasseri will not be expelled or deported to Tunisia or to any other country where they would be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. br /
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In recent years, the Italian government has attempted to deport and has deported a number of Tunisian nationals to Tunisia, in some cases in violation of rulings issued by the European Court of Human Rights. br /
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The Court has also ruled that Italy violated the absolute ban on returns to risk of torture by sending some back to Tunisia. Amnesty International subsequently learned that some of the people returned to Tunisia reported being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. br /
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quot;The Italian government’s disregard for requests from the European Court of Human Rights to halt deportations to Tunisia while the Court considers the case is very disturbing. It indicates that the government will dispense with the rule of law when it suits them,quot; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
quot;The authorities must guarantee now that they will observe the absolute ban on torture and not send Adel Ben Mabrouk and Riadh Nasseri back to Tunisia where they will be at risk of such abuse.quot;
/p

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/egypt-abuomar-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/The convictions of US and Italian intelligence agents for their involvement in the abduction of Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr (better known as Abu Omar) mark a step toward accountability for crimes committed in the course of the USArsquo;s ldquo;renditionrdquo; programme, said Amnesty International on Thursday. br /
br /
ldquo;The simple truth of this case is that a man was kidnapped in broad daylight, and thennbsp; illegally transferred to Egypt where he reported being tortured,rdquo; said Julia Hall, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s expert on counter-terrorism in Europe. br /
br /
ldquo;Such acts can not and should not go unpunished and the agents responsible must be held accountable for the fact that they were complicit in a number of other serious crimes, including enforced disappearance and torture committed against Abu Omar.rdquo;nbsp; nbsp;br /
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The Milan prosecutors had issued arrest warrants for the US defendants in 2005 and 2006, but successive Italian Justice Ministers refused to transmit them to the US government. br /
br /
ldquo;The prosecutors did everything in their power to ensure that the US agents appeared in court,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
ldquo;By refusing to forward the extradition requests to the USA, the Italian government dealt a serious blow to the fairness of the proceedings.rdquo; br /
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None of the US citizens who were convicted appeared in court. Although Italian law allows for trials in absentia, international law requires that a person be present at his trial to hear the full prosecution case, put forward a defence, challenge the evidence and examine witnesses. If they are apprehended in future, the US nationals convicted in absentia, are entitled to a new trial before a different court and to the presumption of innocence in that new trial. br /
nbsp; br /
ldquo;The Bush administration erected a wall of silence, refusing to acknowledge the Abu Omar case or the role its own intelligence agents played in it,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
ldquo;It is time for the Obama administration to right that wrong. The US government should not offer safe haven to any person suspected of involvement in enforced disappearance or torture.rdquo; br /
br /
Amnesty International has called on the USA to initiate an independent and impartial criminal investigation into Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction, enforced disappearance and torture and to prosecute those CIA agents and military officials suspected of involvement in those crimes. The Italian government should cooperate in full with any state seeking to investigate and prosecute persons alleged to have been involved in Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction and rendition.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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The Egyptian authorities must also thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the enforced disappearance and torture of Abu Omar in Egypt. br /
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The Milan court provisionally awarded Abu Omar one million euros and his wife, Nabila Ghali, 500,000 euros for the abuse and injustice they suffered.nbsp; The Court referred the compensation issue to a civil court for further consideration.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
ldquo;Victims of enforced disappearance and torture have a right to justice, truth and full reparations,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
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ldquo;The Italian court awarded monetary compensation to Abu Omar and his family for Italyrsquo;s role in their abuse and suffering, and now the US and Egyptian governments should follow suit.rdquo; br /
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strongBackground /strongbr /
Those convicted included 22 US agents or officials of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and one US military officer. Three other US nationals, including the then CIA station chief in Rome, were granted diplomatic immunity and the cases against them were dismissed.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Two Italian military intelligence agents (of the then-called Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare or SISMI) were also convicted, and sentenced to three years. The cases against the former head of SISMI, Nicolograve; Pollari and his deputy, Marco Mancini, were dismissed based on ldquo;state secretsrdquo; privilege, as were the cases of three other Italians. br /
br /
The accused were prosecuted for their involvement in the February 2003 abduction of Abu Omar, who was forcibly disappeared from a Milan street and flown via Germany to Egypt, where he was secretly detained for 14 months and allegedly tortured.nbsp; Those convicted were charged only with involvement in Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction, not for his enforced disappearance or torture.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/egypt-abuomar-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/The convictions of US and Italian intelligence agents for their involvement in the abduction of Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr (better known as Abu Omar) mark a step toward accountability for crimes committed in the course of the USArsquo;s ldquo;renditionrdquo; programme, said Amnesty International on Thursday. br /
br /
ldquo;The simple truth of this case is that a man was kidnapped in broad daylight, and thennbsp; illegally transferred to Egypt where he reported being tortured,rdquo; said Julia Hall, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s expert on counter-terrorism in Europe. br /
br /
ldquo;Such acts can not and should not go unpunished and the agents responsible must be held accountable for the fact that they were complicit in a number of other serious crimes, including enforced disappearance and torture committed against Abu Omar.rdquo;nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
The Milan prosecutors had issued arrest warrants for the US defendants in 2005 and 2006, but successive Italian Justice Ministers refused to transmit them to the US government. br /
br /
ldquo;The prosecutors did everything in their power to ensure that the US agents appeared in court,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
ldquo;By refusing to forward the extradition requests to the USA, the Italian government dealt a serious blow to the fairness of the proceedings.rdquo; br /
br /
None of the US citizens who were convicted appeared in court. Although Italian law allows for trials in absentia, international law requires that a person be present at his trial to hear the full prosecution case, put forward a defence, challenge the evidence and examine witnesses. If they are apprehended in future, the US nationals convicted in absentia, are entitled to a new trial before a different court and to the presumption of innocence in that new trial. br /
nbsp; br /
ldquo;The Bush administration erected a wall of silence, refusing to acknowledge the Abu Omar case or the role its own intelligence agents played in it,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
ldquo;It is time for the Obama administration to right that wrong. The US government should not offer safe haven to any person suspected of involvement in enforced disappearance or torture.rdquo; br /
br /
Amnesty International has called on the USA to initiate an independent and impartial criminal investigation into Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction, enforced disappearance and torture and to prosecute those CIA agents and military officials suspected of involvement in those crimes. The Italian government should cooperate in full with any state seeking to investigate and prosecute persons alleged to have been involved in Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction and rendition.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
The Egyptian authorities must also thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the enforced disappearance and torture of Abu Omar in Egypt. br /
br /
The Milan court provisionally awarded Abu Omar one million euros and his wife, Nabila Ghali, 500,000 euros for the abuse and injustice they suffered.nbsp; The Court referred the compensation issue to a civil court for further consideration.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
ldquo;Victims of enforced disappearance and torture have a right to justice, truth and full reparations,rdquo; said Julia Hall. br /
br /
ldquo;The Italian court awarded monetary compensation to Abu Omar and his family for Italyrsquo;s role in their abuse and suffering, and now the US and Egyptian governments should follow suit.rdquo; br /
br /
strongBackground /strongbr /
Those convicted included 22 US agents or officials of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and one US military officer. Three other US nationals, including the then CIA station chief in Rome, were granted diplomatic immunity and the cases against them were dismissed.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Two Italian military intelligence agents (of the then-called Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare or SISMI) were also convicted, and sentenced to three years. The cases against the former head of SISMI, Nicolograve; Pollari and his deputy, Marco Mancini, were dismissed based on ldquo;state secretsrdquo; privilege, as were the cases of three other Italians. br /
br /
The accused were prosecuted for their involvement in the February 2003 abduction of Abu Omar, who was forcibly disappeared from a Milan street and flown via Germany to Egypt, where he was secretly detained for 14 months and allegedly tortured.nbsp; Those convicted were charged only with involvement in Abu Omarrsquo;s abduction, not for his enforced disappearance or torture.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/usa-obama-nobel-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International today congratulated US President Barack Obama on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 and urged him in the spirit of that award to keep justice, human rights and the rule of law at the centre of his efforts to promote peace.br /
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quot;President Obama has taken some positive steps towards improving human rights in the USA and abroad, but much remains to be done,quot; said Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. br /
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quot;This award raises our expectations of President Obama and we look to him for decisive action to pursue peace with justice in the Middle East, end the rollback on human rights in the name of counter-terrorism and reinforce the fight against poverty at a time of economic crisis.quot;br /
br /
Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-bagram-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
The USA must grant all detainees held in US custody at the Bagram
airbase in Afghanistan access to US courts and legal counsel, as they
remain unable to challenge the lawfulness of their detention in an
independent and impartial court in Afghanistan, Amnesty International
said on Wednesday.br /
br /
The US government revealed updated administrative review procedures for
detainees at Bagram in a legal document filed on Monday, as it
continued its bid to prevent any of the detainees from challenging
their detention in a US court.br /
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Amnesty International has also urged the US government to allow
detainees access to their relatives, doctors, and to consular
representatives without delay.br /
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There are currently about 600 detainees held at the base, the majority Afghan nationals.nbsp; Some have been held for years. They are held without access to legal counsel or to any court. br /
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The US should also assist the Afghan government in creating mechanisms
to ensure fair trials for those in detention, Amnesty International
urges.br /
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Washington and Kabul should consider the option of mixed
national/international tribunals to try those apprehended in
counter-insurgency operations by Afghan as well as US and other
international forces.
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strongFor further information, see:
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