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26 American CIA operatives will be tried in Milan's
Palace of Justice |
Twenty-six American CIA operatives stand accused of the kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric from the streets of Milan.
The defendants, including an Air Force colonel and two CIA station chiefs, are being tried in absentia at the Milan Palace of Justice for the 2003 abduction of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar.
The CIA tactic under scrutiny is called 'extraordinary rendition', and it is the first time the CIA will go to trial for its use. 'Extraordinary rendition' involves the capture of a terrorism suspect in one country and his transfer not to the US, but to a third country for interrogation - without court orders or judicial oversight.
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Max Keiser is tracing the CIA's activities
in Milan |
The Italian prosecutors claim Nasr was taken to US bases in Italy and Germany before being taken to Cairo, Egypt. Nasr says he was tortured while imprisoned for four years in Cairo.
In many cases, including this one, the suspects have said they were tortured, and their claims are supported by the evidence of international human rights organisations.
Financial activist, Max Keiser, has been on the trail of the kidnappers in Milan, and he reveals how disregarding the rule of law could prove a costly business.
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This episode of People & Power aired from Wednesday 13 June 2007