Amnesty International demands Lithuania reopen CIA prison case

2011-01-20
TBT Staff

Amnesty International called on Lithuania to re-open their investigation into the alleged prison camp outside Vilnius.

VILNIUS - International human rights NGO Amnesty International has demanded that Lithuanian authorities reopen the investigation into an alleged secret CIA prison that reportedly operated in the country in the mid-2000's.

"The investigation surrounding the existence of secret prisons run by the US Central Agency (CIA) in Lithuania must not be closed until all avenues of evidence have been thoroughly pursued," Amnesty International said.

The Lithuanian prosecutor's office closed the investigation into an alleged CIA prison camp outside Vilnius earlier this month.

Arvydas Anusauskas, chairman of parliament's national security committee, has also urged the prosecutor's office to reopen the case.

"Two international organizations claim they have solid proof of illegal activities in Lithuania. ... I believe these sources could provide public or nonpublic testimony to Lithuanian officials," he said after meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaite.

In 2009, U.S. TV station ABC News, citing unnamed ex-CIA officials, claimed Lithuania hosted a prison for "high-value" al Qaeda suspects, near Vilnius, from Sept. 2004 through Nov. 2005.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Rasa Junkeviciene told the Baltic News Service that the investigation was most likely dropped because of a lack of evidence.