23 Aug 2007

The human rights group Liberty today praised the Scottish Executive’s efforts to ensure that secret CIA flights carrying suspects to face possible torture have not received Scottish logistical support.

Attending a meeting on extraordinary rendition hosted by Kenny MacAskill MSP, Liberty’s Legal Officer Alex Gask said: “The Scottish Executive’s willingness to condemn torture and make absolutely certain that Scotland has not supported CIA rendition flights is a refreshing contrast to the lacklustre and frankly obstructive reaction from the UK Government on this issue.”

Liberty first expressed concerns in November 2005 that the UK government may be complicit in alleged torture practices if secret “torture flights,” carrying suspects to third countries where they may face torture, transited UK airports.

On 30 November 2005, Liberty called on the Police Chief Constables of Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, the Metropolitan Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, Suffolk, Sussex, Thames Valley, and West Midlands to investigate allegations that their regional airports had been used to transport suspects to countries known to practice torture. In response to Liberty’s request, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Michael Todd confirmed on 19 December 2005 that he would look into “extraordinary rendition” flights on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO.) On 8 June 2007, Todd refused to commence a police enquiry into the allegations. Liberty rejected ACPO's findings as a ‘whitewash’ and questioned whether it had even investigated the claims.

Over the last two years Liberty has sought answers from recent Foreign Secretaries Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett about possible UK complicity in rendition flights as well as safeguards against future logistical support.

Liberty has called 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.

A dossier of Liberty’s correspondence with ACPO and the Foreign Office is available on www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. An investigative report on extraordinary rendition flights conducted by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee was published on 25 July 2007.

2. On 8 June 2007, the Council of Europe released the findings of its 19-month investigation into extraordinary rendition flights which confirmed that European authorities were aware of illegal activity on their territory and that US military flights were given “overflight clearance.” In April 2006 the Council of Europe Chief reported that rendition, the practice by which people are transported to countries where they face torture, does happen.

3. In February 2007, the European Parliament’s temporary commission on extraordinary rendition approved a report accusing EU states of complicity with CIA rendition flights.

4. On 6 September 2006, US President Bush acknowledged the existence of secret CIA prisons (to which the terror suspects were alleged to have been taken) and said 14 key terror suspects have now been sent from the prisons to Guantanamo Bay.

5. On 26 June 2006, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) passed a resolution calling on all member states, including the UK, to pressure the US into ending rendition flights, closing secret prisons and changing their own laws and practices to guarantee the rights of persons captured from, detained in or transported through their states. Eighteen members of the UK Parliament from all the main political parties are on the PACE.

6. 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.

7. Investigative journalist Stephen Grey published “Ghost Planes” in 2006 which explores allegations of European complicity with extraordinary rendition flights.

8. The Guardian newspaper 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.