- Title: Lithuania, Poland reject idea of CIA prisons
- Date: 26th January 2017
- Summary: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (JANUARY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) CARS RIDING IN FRONT OF MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SIGN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, LINAS LINKEVICIUS, SAYING: "First of all, we will never tolerate torturing and inappropriate behaviour, which is beyond any standards of human rights, this is clear. I also have to say that these allegations were not proved with regard to Lithuania again. It was parliamentary investigation and our prosecution office is ready, as they stated it is in their competence, to study any additional information if it's available, but for now there is no proof that we had this site in Lithuania, although there were publications in the media." EUROPEAN UNION FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, LINAS LINKEVICIUS, SAYING: "We are ready to cooperate with United States on all strategic issues, but there are, of course, some aspects of human rights which are really not... shouldn't be used anywhere, be it United States or anywhere in the world." LITHUANIAN AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, LINAS LINKEVICIUS, SAYING: "Torturing of people is not possible according to international law, code of conduct, whatever you can talk, not just legally but morally. So I don't know what to add. To do that on behalf of a state, it's really unbelievable and shouldn't be tolerated. I can just note. And I do not believe that any civilised state should apply these methods." WARSAW, POLAND (JANUARY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) POLISH PRIME MINISTER BEATA SZYDLO AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SZYDLO LISTENING TO QUESTION REGARDING POSSIBILITY OF OPENING CIA INTERROGATION SITES IN POLAND IF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDES TO REINSTALL SO CALLED "BLACK SITES" (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH PRIME MINISTER, BEATA SZYDLO, SAYING: "My answer is short - no." PHOTOGRAPHERS SZYDLO SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 9th February 2017 16:15
- Keywords: Poland Lithuania CIA prisons
- Location: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA / WARSAW, POLAND
- City: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA / WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Lithuania
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160PXZRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Poland and Lithuania rejected the idea of opening CIA "black sites" on their territory on Thursday (January 27) after reports that U.S. President Donald Trump may order a review that could lead to bringing back a CIA programme for holding "terrorism" suspects in secret overseas "black sites" prisons.
Trump told ABC in an interview on Wednesday (January 25) that he thought that waterboarding "worked" as an intelligence-gathering tool but said he would defer to his cabinet on whether to use it in interrogations.
Both Poland and Lithuania have denied operating secret interrogation facilities for the U.S., despite allegations from former detainees and human rights groups.
In 2014 the European Court of Human Rights found that detainees of the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay were held in a secret prison in Poland, part of a world-wide CIA network of "black sites".
"First of all, we will never tolerate torturing and inappropriate behaviour, which is beyond any standards of human rights, this is clear," Linkevicius told Reuters.
"We are ready to cooperate with the United States on all strategic issues, but there are, of course, some aspects of human rights which are really not... shouldn't be used anywhere, be it in the United States or anywhere else in the world."
Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo simply said "no" when asked if the subject of hosting U.S. detention facilities on Polish soil could be discussed in the future.
The White House said on Wednesday the draft order calling for a review of the "black site" CIA programme is not a White House document.
Torture is forbidden under U.S. law as well as under international law, and under international pacts such as the United Nations Convention against Torture and the Geneva Conventions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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