de Vries: No evidence to back up CIA claims

EU’s anti-terrorism coordinator Gijs de Vries has underlined the lack of concrete evidence to back up the allegations of secret CIA flights and prisoner transfers via EU countries.

Appearing before the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry, which investigates allegations that the CIA has been running secret flights and detention centres for terrorist suspects in a number of EU countries, EU’s anti-terrorism coordinator Gijs de Vries delivered sobering remarks on 20 April.

To the dismay of the committee, de Vries honed in on the strength of actual evidence delivered so far: “There has not been, to my knowledge, evidence that these illegal renditions have taken place. We’ve heard all kinds of allegations, impressions. We have heard also refutations. It’s up to your committee to weigh if they are true. It does not appear to be proven beyond reasonable doubt,” de Vries said. 

MEPs criticised him for this stance and for insisting on his role as a non-operational coordinator of the EU countries efforts in the fight against terrorism: “Are you just a think-tank or do you have information from the member states’ secret services?” asked the Spanish MEP Ignasi Guardans. Dutch MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg added “There is so much circumstantial evidence, you can’t close your eyes from the fact that this is probably happening”.

The committee is expected to deliver its’ report in June. The Council of Europe is also leading a parallel investigation into the allegations. 

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