Shameful silence of Member States on CIA detentions

3.00.00pm GMT Wed 26th Sep 2007

Today Council and Commission were summoned to explain the follow-up on Parliament's report adopted in February 2007 and the report from the Council of Europe from 08 June dealing with clandestine CIA operations in Europe. Liberal and Democrat members remain very critical of the lack of action by Member States to follow up on the conclusions drawn from the investigations.

Ignasi Guardans (CiU, Catalonia, Spain), ALDE coordinator in the former CIA temporary committee declared: "The report of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe raised serious accusations against some Member States of the EU and the Council regarding their knowledge or complicity with such events. But instead of acting and addressing the concerns raised, the Council remains silent, like a defendant in a Court of Law relying on the shield of silence as their sole means of defence."

"Is it out of fear or embarrassment to offend the US that the Council stays quiet? Unfortunately the European Parliament does not have the legal means to make the Council talk, but history will shed light on this shameful silence. The Council's refusal to act is a scandal in the present democratic era."

Baroness Sarah Ludford (LibDems, UK) said: "Seven months after MEPs' published a damning indictment of Member States' complicity in the programme of torture flights and black prisons illegally operated by the CIA, EU governments and the Commission have finally accepted a duty to respond. While that is a step forward, we need real answers, not a brush-off. Europe's citizens must get an honest and comprehensive answer regarding the accountability of Member States for alleged human rights abuses and breaches of international law. The credibility of the EU as a true area of freedom, security and justice and as a beacon of human rights, on which we get so many declarations, depends on this."

Sophie in´t Veld (D66, Netherlands): "The Council's refusal so far to speak out on this matter is a disgrace for the whole of Europe. Human Rights and democracy are the very foundations of the European project. This issue goes against everything we stand for and seriously undermines Europe's moral authority in the world."

"This demonstrates clearly the urgent need for a European Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Member States hide behind the argument of foreign and security policies being national competence, so as to escape