Lithuanian President Announces Investigation into CIA Secret Prison
Investigation a result of ABC News.com report on CIA 'Black Site' in Lithuanian Capitol
Focusing On Ending Torture
Last August, in a written response to ABC.com's report the Lithuanian government denied their country had ever hosted a CIA prison, saying "The Lithuanian Government denies all rumors and interpretations about alleged secret prison that supposedly functioned on Lithuanian soil."
Lithuania is a signatory to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights. Additionally, the Lithuanian legal system prohibits torture, assault, and extrajudicial detention.
"There are important legal issues at stake," said John Sifton, a human rights researcher. "As with Poland and Romania, CIA personnel involved in any secret detentions and interrogations in Lithuania were not only committing violations of U.S. federal law and international law, they were also breaking Lithuanian laws relating to lawless detention, assault, torture, and possibly war crimes. Lithuanian officials who worked with the CIA were breaking applicable Lithuanian laws as well."
As a result of the ABC News.com story about Lithuania, the Council of Europe reopened its investigation into Lithuanian involvement in the CIA program, according to a Council of Europe official.
"We cannot place Lithuania in a position, for whatever interests, where it may become a target for international terrorists," said Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. "Both Lithuania and the United States must provide answers to these questions."
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