Kidnapped by the CIA: The case of Khalid el-Masri
The 2004 kidnap and torture of Khalid el-Masri exposed the CIA’s rendition programme and its effects which are still felt today.
In 2004, German citizen Khaled el-Masri disappeared near the Macedonian border. He was kidnapped by the CIA, taken to a secret prison near Kabul and five months later dumped in a forest in Albania.
His case was one reason why the CIA’s “rendition programme” came to light. Agents were abducting people suspected of being “terrorists” and torturing them to extract information.
El-Masri has spent nearly 20 years trying to get an apology from the United States, so far in vain. This is the story of an innocent man caught up in the geopolitical power struggles of the post-9/11 years.
Published On 2 Jun 2022