EU human rights chief has harshly lambasted European governments for collaborating with the US on committing countless crimes in the so-called war on terror over the past decade.
"In attempting to combat crimes attributed to terrorists, countless further crimes have been committed in the course of the US-led 'global war on terror,'" said the Council of Europe's Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
"Many of those crimes have been carefully and deliberately covered up," he added.
Hammarberg went on to say that European governments have been deeply complicit in Washington's counterterrorism methods, which have involved torture and other serious human rights violations.
The 47-nation Council of Europe has criticized over a dozen European states for colluding in the CIA's rendition programs, in which suspects were secretly captured and dispatched to countries where torture is allowed.
They permitted, protected and participated in CIA operations which violated fundamental tenets of our systems of justice and human rights protection," the EU human rights chief further explained, noting that these governments have obstructed the process of probing into rendition cases in line with Washington's wishes.
"The message is clear; good relations between the security agencies are deemed more important than preventing torture and other serious human rights violations," Hammarberg pointed out.
"In attempting to combat crimes attributed to terrorists, countless further crimes have been committed in the course of the US-led 'global war on terror,'" said the Council of Europe's Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
"Many of those crimes have been carefully and deliberately covered up," he added.
Hammarberg went on to say that European governments have been deeply complicit in Washington's counterterrorism methods, which have involved torture and other serious human rights violations.
The 47-nation Council of Europe has criticized over a dozen European states for colluding in the CIA's rendition programs, in which suspects were secretly captured and dispatched to countries where torture is allowed.
They permitted, protected and participated in CIA operations which violated fundamental tenets of our systems of justice and human rights protection," the EU human rights chief further explained, noting that these governments have obstructed the process of probing into rendition cases in line with Washington's wishes.
"The message is clear; good relations between the security agencies are deemed more important than preventing torture and other serious human rights violations," Hammarberg pointed out.
