UK collusion on CIA flights

Next week, MEPs will vote in Strasbourg on the final report of the CIA 'extraordinary rendition' temporary committee of which I been the vice-chair since its establishment in January 2006.

Having campaigned vigorously for an EU inquiry following the reports of torture flights and in particular allegations by the American press and Human Rights Watch of secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe, this will certainly be a key moment for me.

The final report paints a grim picture. It confirms that activities of kidnapping, illegal detention and delivery to torture of terrorist suspects did take place on or through European territory with the active connivance or passive neglect of European authorities.

Illegal imprisonment and torture is the darkest chapter of the American 'war on terror', and it seems European countries including the UK caved in, scandalously abdicating their duty of upholding human rights standards.

Our year-long enquiry has been thorough, including as it has 130 hearings of lawyers, journalists, human rights bodies, European government ministers, EU and international officials; meetings with 4 victims of extraordinary rendition and close examination of over a dozen more cases; 7 external delegations including to Washington and London; and analysis of flight logs and documents (some of them arriving in brown paper envelopes!).

Within the constraints of being a parliamentary committee, rather than a court operating to criminal standards of proof, we have collated solid evidence as a basis for our conclusions that there was collusion from the European side with the CIA extraordinary rendition programme. This means European authorities may be liable for grave illegality in facilitating or assisting abduction, incommunicado detention without charge or trial, cruel treatment and torture.

The report was adopted in committee last month with a liberal-left majority, though with some support from centre-right MEPs. But, I expect amendments for next week's vote to be hard fought, with MEPs across the political spectrum trying to water down the criticisms of 'their' government.

European Liberals and Democrats have played a forceful role throughout this process, managing to get accepted amendments to the report demanding that Member States be pursued under the EU treaty for breach of human rights obligations, and calling for close cooperation with the US government and Congress to defeat terrorism - within the rule of law.

CIA-operated aircraft made 170 stopovers at UK airports, and although we do not know if any of those planes actually carried detainees, some of them were to or from 'rendition destinations'. The freedom granted to CIA planes may have been as a result of a NATO agreement in the wake of 9/11 to give blanket overflight clearances and refuelling facilities. Our request for a copy of this agreement was refused by both EU institutions and the NATO secretary-general.

The report denounces the lack of cooperation of many Member states and the EU Council of Ministers. In particular, it 'deplores the manner in which the UK government, as represented by its minister for Europe' cooperated with the committee - a reference which has certainly ruffled a few feathers in London such as those belonging to Geoff Hoon.

European states were well aware of rendition activities even if they turned a blind eye, hence Condi Rice's pointed assertion that the US always respected the sovereignty of its European allies. But some states - Sweden, seemingly Italy and Macedonia, and possibly Germany - gave their active support to abductions.

The report highlights the apparent involvement of UK authorities, such as interrogation and the supplying of information, in the illegal rendition of several UK citizens and residents who allege torture, such as Martin Mubanga and Binyam Mohammed. It records the role of the UK security services in providing (mistaken) information which facilitated the abduction of my (and Ed Davey's and Sarah Teather's) constituents, Bisher Al-Rawi and Jamil El-Banna.

Judicial investigations are now under way in Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Italian and German prosecutors have even issued arrest warrants for CIA officials allegedly involved.

However, in Britain the government is still trying to hide behind bluster and refuses to launch a proper investigation. It's a sorry state of affairs when our former defence secretary has to be censured for his uncooperative attitude and labelled 'evasive' by the rapporteur, an Italian socialist and his political ally.

This whole report is a damning indictment on Blair's human rights record and poodle-like failure to challenge US abuses. It's no great surprise that the Tories are likely to vote against, demonstrating the shallowness of Cameron's 'new Conservative' attachment to civil liberties. But Labour MEPs should put principle before narrow politics, and support the call for accountability.