UK and other EU countries shamed for role in US renditions programme - Call for action on Irish airports

The preliminary report by the Rapporteur of the European Parliament's Temporary Committee investigating CIA activity in Europe, Claudio Fava, confirms Amnesty International’s conclusions that complicity by European countries, including the UK and Ireland, has allowed CIA renditions to occur in Europe.

The draft report found national security services in various countries were not being held accountable for their role in renditions. The report also highlights the failure of EU institutions and member states – including the UK and Ireland - to fully cooperate with the investigation as well as their failure to carry out independent investigations into the role played by their authorities in the US programme of renditions.

Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Programme Director, Patrick Corrigan said:

“This report is a damning indictment of the UK and Ireland’s complicity in CIA renditions and their failure to fully cooperate with the European Parliaments’ investigation.

“It is vitally important that the UK and Irish Governments stop ignoring this issue and allow a full, independent investigation into any and all aspects of rendition involving airports on both sides of the Irish border and in Britain. People on both sides of the border do not want to be a part of a CIA practice which breaks international law and puts people at risk of torture.”