Liberty is demanding a full independent inquiry into UK assistance with CIA “torture flights” in light of a damning Council of Europe report released today. The report concludes that CIA flights carrying terror suspects likely to face torture have been given access to UK airspace and airports.

Since November 2005, Liberty has warned the Government that the UK will breach domestic and international law if CIA “extraordinary rendition” flights have been allowed to land and re-fuel in Britain. In response to the new findings, Liberty will hold an emergency demonstration on 25 June, the eve of the United Nations Day Against Torture, to demand an end to torture flights.

Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, said:
"Last December the Foreign Office advised the Prime Minister to ‘move the debate on’ rather than to investigate properly concerns that Britain has been used as a transit post for torture flights.

Six months and a great deal of soft soap later, there has been no proper British investigation and accordingly this scandal remains.

Only an immediate independent inquiry can rebuild our reputation in the world."

Liberty has called on the Government to comply with police questioning, seek diplomatic reassurances from the US government, and change British law to halt rendition flights.

Contact Jen Corlew on 0207 378 3656 or 0797 3 831 128

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Liberty's “Ground Torture Flights Now” demonstration will be held on Sunday, 25th June outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London W1 between 12 noon and 2pm.

2. On 26 May 2006, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights concluded that the Government was not doing enough to investigate whether UK airports are being used by secret CIA flights involved in the practice of extraordinary rendition (carrying terror suspects to third countries to face torture).

3. Liberty is calling on the Government to support an amendment which would require the Secretary of State to force any suspicious aircraft in UK airspace to land and that plane to be searched.

4. On January 2006 and November 2005 Liberty asked the Prime Minister and the-then Foreign Secretary to seek assurances from the US that it is not using UK airports to transport suspects to countries that torture and has thus far received an unsatisfactory response.

5. In response to Liberty’s request for police to investigate allegations that CIA flights taking suspects to face torture have landed at UK airports, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Michael Todd confirmed in December 2005 that he will look into “extraordinary rendition” flights on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO.)

6. The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee and the All Party Subject Group are leading separate investigations into allegations of rendition flights.

7. Liberty’s call to action against extraordinary rendition is part of its “No torture, no compromise” campaign which seeks to make the UK government honour its positive obligation to stop torture and ill-treatment.

8. The Guardian revealed on 6 December and 12 September 2005 that airports in Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Farnborough, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, RAF Mildenhall, Northolt, and Stansted have allowed CIA or CIA-chartered jets to land temporarily. These aircraft had flown into the UK approximately 210 times since 2001.