Bucharest denies PACE rapporteur’s report on secret detention centres

BUCHAREST, Romania — Bucharest on Friday (June 8th) rejected a new report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s rapporteur, Dick Marty, that suggests Romania hosted secret CIA detention centres from 2003 to 2005.The document, presented earlier the same day, said such centres were also set up in Poland, under a secret deal among NATO allies reached in October 2001.

Denying Marty’s claims, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said the report failed to marshal enough evidence to support the accusations. Former President Ion Iliescu, named in the report as having facilitated the plan to set up detention centres, has also issued a denial, as has the ex-head of the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport in Constanta, Mircea Dionisie. Poland also says the allegations are false. (CoE website, Mediafax, Rompres, Antena 3 TV – 08/06/07)