MEPs STRONGLY BACK INVESTIGATION OF CIA 'RENDITION' ALLEGATIONS - LIZ LYNNE
December 15, 2005 4:26 PM
MEPs have voted overwhelmingly to back the setting up of a temporary
committee to investigate the allegations of CIA illegal 'extraordinary
rendition' and European governments' complicity.
Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands and Member of the
Subcommittee on Human Rights, said:
"The European Parliament has shown it is serious and determined about
getting at the truth regarding extraordinary rendition, and if necessary
to launch the sanctions process against any EU Member State shown to have
gravely breached human rights.
"Inquiries by EU bodies should add value to, rather than duplicate, the
work of Dick Marty, investigator for the Council of Europe which is the
pan-European human rights watchdog.
"I urge EU justice Commissioner Frattini to help MEPs by showing more
pro-active vigour in quizzing EU governments as well as foreign policy
chief Javier Solana and counter-terrorism coordinator Gijs de Vries. He
must resist the temptation - perhaps influenced by his own status as a
former foreign minister - to take governments' denials of wrongdoing at
face value.
"This exercise is not about singling out any particular government for
punishment. It is about the EU as a whole cleaning house so that we can
restore our reputation and credibility as a champion of fundamental
rights."
ENDS.
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