CIA’s detention centres in Europe: a never-ending story that serves no one and promotes Russia's agenda in Europe's highest forums

Yesterday we switnessed once again how an ad-hoc alliance inside European Parliament (EP), composed from a strange mix of extreme right and left, socialists and liberals, is turning the European Union towards anything else but the real problems of the European citizens.

A majority of 329 MEPs voted in favour of the “European Parliament Resolution on follow-up to the European Parliament resolution of 11 February 20015 on the US Senate report on the use of torture by the CIA”. The 299 votes of EPP and the rest of the political forces it managed to gather around its views were not enough to stop this Resolution which does not reflect the needs and interests of EU citizens but the ones of Russia.

Both the Report of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) about the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program and the Romanian Senate Report on the presence of CIA's Detention Centres provided no proof regarding the use of torture on CIA’s prisoners in secret facilities on the Romanian territory.

Based on a mosaic of press cuts, NGO’s allegations and twisted interpretations, yesterday's Resolution brings harsh accusations against some of the Members States, without having any clear evidence. Moreover, the Resolution interferes with several judicial proceeding, that are taking place as we speak, meant to shed light over this never-ending story.

The Resolution hampers not only with undergoing judicial proceedings but also matters of national security and sovereignty. Its request towards the European Commission of a “White Paper” that “will define what does not fall within the notion of ‘national security’ represents both an infringement of the national competences and a major security breach for the future. At just one vote margin, this demand did not pass today’s vote, which does not exclude its coming back in a future Resolution on similar topics, backed by populism and lack of vision.