“The Council of Europe publish an interrim report this morning “It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware of the ”rendition” of more than a hundred persons affecting Europe, according to Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty, whose interim assessment was made public today in an information memorandum. Citing statements made by American officials and others, Mr Marty also said there was ”a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of ”relocation” or ”outsourcing” of torture”. He welcomed the arrival yesterday of detailed information he had requested from Eurocontrol and the EU’s Satellite Agency. The Parliamentary Assembly will hold a debate on this question today at 10 am.”

The information memorandum is available as a PDF or HTML file

The committee also held an exchange of views on suspected abductions on European soil, and alleged illegal transport of detainees from or through Europe to countries where the persons are at risk of torture, with:

– Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan

– Professor Manfred Nowak, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture

– John Sifton, Human Rights Watch, New York