EU-US Summit: no more business as usual, please

Amnesty International EU Office Press Release

The preliminary report by the Rapporteur of the European Parliament’s Temporary Committee investigating CIA activity in Europe confirms Amnesty International’s conclusions that complicity by European countries has allowed CIA renditions to occur in Europe.

As EU leaders meet today in Lahti, Finland, all eyes will be on their confrontation with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in light of the onslaught on freedom of expression and association in Russia.

Addressing abuses in the US-led “war on terror” should be a priority at tomorrow’s EU-US Summit in Vienna, says Amnesty International.

The complicity of EU Member States in the US-led renditions programme must be addressed at tomorrow’s European Council. The summit is an important opportunity for the EU to commit to ending renditions on European soil, said Amnesty International.

14/06/2006 – Open letter to Heads of State or Government of the European Union: the European Council must put a resolute stop to the attitude of “see no evil, hear no evil” that has prevailed so far.

08/06/2006 – On the occasion of the EU-US Summit in Vienna on 21 June 2006, Amnesty International calls on the European Union to take effective action against human rights violations linked to US-led ‘war on terror’ detention policies and practice worldwide.

(Brussels, 5 April 2006) In a new report published today, “USA – Below the radar: Secret flights to torture and ‘disappearance’”, Amnesty International gives comprehensive information concerning rendition flights and describes the conditions under which victims were held.