Brussels to probe claims of secret CIA jails
By Demetri Sevastopulo and Guy Dinmore in Washington and Christopher Condon in Budapest Published: November 3 2005 21:53 | Last updated: November 4 2005 00:01 Financial Times

The European Commission said on Thursday it would look into allegations that Poland and Romania had allowed the US Central Intelligence Agency to run secret detention and interrogation centres on their soil. "We have to find out what is happening," said Frisco Roscam Abbing, a Commission spokesman. The Commission said it had no indication that the allegations were true. Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that Poland, a new European Union member, and Romania, which is scheduled to become an EU member in 2007, were the likely locations for secret prisons that the CIA is allegedly running in Europe. The revelation followed a report in the Washington Post that the CIA had established so-called "black sites" in eight countries, including Afghanistan, Thailand and several east European democracies. Poland and Romania yesterday denied the allegations.


"The Romanian president said there is no detention facility of the CIA [in Romania]," said Claudiu Saftoiu, an adviser to President Traian Basescu on security issues. Asked whether Romania had permitted such a facility to exist in the past, Mr Saftoiu declined to say. "All member states are bound by their relevant international legal obligations, in particular those deriving from the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Convention against Torture," said Franco Frattini, justice commissioner. "I encourage member states and candidate countries to take the necessary steps to look into this matter where appropriate." The CIA has declined to comment on claims of secret prisons housing high-level al-Qaeda suspects captured in US counter-terrorism operations. On Wednesday, Stephen Hadley, national security adviser to President George W. Bush, sidestepped questions about the alleged prisons, saying only that the US acted in ways "consistent with our values".

Deborah Pearlstein, director of the US law and security programme at Human Rights First, said she was not surprised to hear that east European countries might be involved, given the "disturbing reports" of European co-operation with the US over the "rendition", or handing over, of detainees to such countries as Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.   Ms Pearlstein attacked efforts by Dick Cheney, vice-president, to have the CIA exempted from legislation proposed by Senator John McCain that would reaffirm the illegality of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners held by the US. The American Civil Liberties Union recently released details of autopsy and death reports it obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. It said 21 deaths were listed as homicides. Eight people appeared to have died during or after interrogation by Navy Seals, military intelligence and "OGA" – Other Governmental Agency, which is commonly used to refer to the CIA.