Recent press allegations of secret CIA jails in Europe and transfers of suspects to other countries are currently being investigated by Council of Europe investigator, the Swiss Senator Dick Marty.
At a meeting of the Council of Europe's human rights committee, Marty said: "Legal proceedings under way in certain countries appear to show that individuals were abducted and transferred to other countries without respect for any legal assistance procedures." He also said that "the elements we have gathered so far tend to reinforce the credibility of the allegations concerning the transport and temporary detention of detainees -- outside all judicial procedure -- in European countries".
Marty underlined that if the allegations proved to be correct the member states in question would "stand accused of having seriously breached their human rights obligations to the Council of Europe".
Referring to the EU visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in early December, Marty said that he "deplored the lack of information and explanation provided by Rice".
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis made the general point that: "In the fight against terrorism the means may compromise the ends, and the sacrifice of human rights is not only morally wrong, but also short-sighted, counterproductive and dangerous."
