Italian judge convicts 23 Americans in rendition flights trial

MILAN/ROME – An Italian judge sentenced 23 Americans to up to eight years in prison yesterday for the abduction of a Muslim cleric, in a symbolic condemnation of the CIA “rendition” flights used by the former US government.

The Americans were all tried in absentia because the US refused to extradite them.

The US state department expressed its disappointment with the verdict, the first of its kind, but campaigners who have long complained that the renditions policy violated basic human rights said the ruling set an important precedent.

“This decision sends a clear message to all governments that even in the fight against terrorism you can’t forsake the basic rights of our democracies,” said prosecutor Armando Spataro.

Judge Oscar Magi handed down the convictions for the abduction of Egyptian-born cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, snatched off a Milan street in 2003 and flown to Egypt for interrogation.

The heaviest sentence – eight years in prison – was handed down to the former head of the CIA’s Milan station, Robert Seldon Lady, while 21 other former agents got five years each.

US air force Lieut Col Joseph Romano was also sentenced to five years, despite a request from the Pentagon that the case should be tried by US courts.

Judge Magi dropped the case against three Americans, including a former CIA Rome station chief, because of diplomatic immunity.

Charges were also dropped against five Italians, including the former head of the Sismi military intelligence service, Nicolo Pollari, because evidence against them violated state secrecy rules.

However, the judge sentenced two more junior Sismi agents to three years in prison as accomplices, indicating Italian authorities were aware of the abduction.

The judge ruled that those convicted should pay €1 million in damages to Mr Nasr, better-known as Abu Omar, and €500,000 to his wife. – (Reuters)