HR watchdog slams US over prison controversy

A European human rights watchdog criticized the US on Tuesday for failing to come clean over allegations that the CIA ran a network of secret prisons in Europe. Dick Marty, who heads up a Council of Europe investigation into the scandal, added that European states faced accusations of a serious breach of their human rights obligations if they had cooperated with the underground network.

Pressure has grown on Washington and European governments to explain dozens of flights criss-crossing the continent by CIA planes, some suspected of delivering prisoners to jails in third countries where they may have been mistreated or tortured. “The rapporteur … deplores the fact that no information or explanation had been provided on this point by Ms Rice during her visit to Europe,” he added.