Governments must act on Marty torture flight evidence

12.08.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th Jun 2006

Sarah Ludford with Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty

Commenting on the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly vote on Senator Dick Marty's report into CIA rendition flights, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Vice-Chair of a similar European Parliament Committee, has said:

"The work on CIA torture flight allegations done by Swiss Liberal senator Dick Marty for the EU's sister organisation the Council of Europe, working closely with the European Parliament, is highly serious and professional. It has uncovered evidence going way beyond speculation, of a pattern of human rights abuses through kidnappings, unlawful imprisonment, disappearances, maltreatment and torture."

"This means European governments can no longer get away with scoffing at the allegations or fobbing us off. Under European and international human rights law they must investigate credible allegations properly and thoroughly."

"The UK government must accept that, with their denials of complicity in 'extraordinary rendition' wearing ever thinner, the case is pressing for a formal inquiry into whether M15 tip-offs led to British citizens being incarcerated in the black hole of Guantanamo and whether CIA planes have rendered people to torture through British airports."