EU terror chief: 'No evidence of CIA prisons'

There is no irrefutable evidence of secret CIA prisons in Europe the EU’s anti-terror coordinator has told MEPs.

Gijs de Vries told a special investigating European parliament committee that there is no proof government’s are or were complicit in illegal CIA activities.

“That evidence has not been established," de Vries told MEPs on Thursday.

Appointed to coordinate Europe's efforts against terrorism after the March 2004 attacks in Madrid, the Dutch politician also denied knowledge of any EU-US agreement permitting ‘extraordinary renditions.’

This contrasts with findings by the Council of Europe, last week the human rights watchdog said illegal renditions of terror suspects had taken place.

But on Thursday de Vries insisted the COE "has not yet concluded his investigations either so let us not jump to conclusions," he said.

De Vries met a hostile reaction from MEPs who expressed concern he did not enough about the activities of Europe's secret and security services.

"Are you just a think-tank or do you have information from the member states' secret services?" Spanish Liberal Ignasi Guardans hit back.

Spanish socialist MEP Maria Elena Valenciano Martinez-Orozco also reacted angrily and pressed de Vries for more information.

"There are strong and many indications that extraordinary renditions have taken place," she said.

"What is worse? That member states did not know or that they knew and did not tell?"

A former British ambassador to Uzbekistan was also questioned yesterday over allegations of secret CIA flights from Europe.

Craig Murray said Germany had received information "most certainly obtained under torture" by Uzbek authorities.

MEPs will travel to Macedonia at the end of this month to further investigate the case.

Another group will head to Washington in early May, seeking meetings with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and CIA chief Porter Goss.

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