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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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March 13th,
2009 - Prosecutor Expects CIA Trial to Continue |
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Prosecutor Expects CIA Trial
to Continue By Colleen Barry Associated Press March 13, 2009 Milan - The prosecutor in
the trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians charged in the kidnapping of an
Egyptian cleric said Friday he is confident the trial will go on, despite a
court ruling throwing out some key evidence. Prosecutor Armando Spataro
said he does not believe that the Constitutional Court's ruling invalidates
the indictments against the defendants in the 2004 disappearance of Osama
Moustafa Hassan Nasr, allegedly kidnapped as part of the CIA's extraordinary
rendition program. The court this week sided
with Italy's government and ruled that prosecutors used classified
information to build the case that led to the indictments. The state's
attorney, Massimo Giannuzzi, told The Associated Press that prosecutors would
have to seek new indictments based on the remaining evidence. But Spataro had another
interpretation. "My opinion is that the indictments are not touched by
this decision," he said. Ultimately, Judge Oscar
Magi, who has been hearing the kidnapping case, will decide how to proceed. The trial is scheduled to
resume Wednesday, but Spataro said he expects it to be suspended for several
weeks until the Constitutional Court issues its full ruling. The American suspects - all
but one identified by prosecutors as CIA agents - were accused along with
seven Italian agents of kidnapping Nasr on a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003,
in an operation coordinated by the CIA and Italy's SISMI military
intelligence. They are being tried in absentia. Much of the evidence that
was challenged by the government in the Constitutional Court regarded the
activities of the Italian secret services. Prosecutors say Nasr, also
known as Abu Omar, was taken to U.S. bases in Italy and Germany before being
moved to Egypt, where he was imprisoned for four years. Nasr, who has since
been released, has said he was tortured. Italy's government denies
any role in the operation. The CIA has declined to comment on the case. Copyright © 2009 The
Associated Press. External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFK6jJ12W23VZD-Hsw_RZIo67JnwD96TAN3O0 |