Press release 2006/002 – Tobias Pflüger, MEP, Brussels, January 11, 2006

The European deputy, elected on the PDS list, Tobias Pflüger, member of the Foreign Relations Committee and coordinator of the Left Party in the Subcommittee for
Defence and Security of the European parliament, declares on the revelations of a Swiss newspaper concerning the existence of CIA interrogation centres in Rumania:

The existence of CIA interrogation centres in Europe becomes ever more probable. The disclaimer of the Rumanian government stating that no Iraqis and Afghans were interrogated on the air force base Michail Koglniceanu is not very credible. As a result of these revelations, there comes up the general question of the military bases in Europe: Be it Ramstein in Germany, by way of which the CIA has abducted people to the USA, Aviano in Italy or Koglniceanu in Rumania: These bases seem to be part of the torture network in Europe. There, apparently with the approval of the European governments, who use this information partly for themselves, illegal interrogations take place and the law is broken. I demand the immediate instatement of an international investigatory commission in order to clear these facts beyond any doubt. At the same time, these military bases must be closed, if the EU governments do not want to assume continued responsibility for aiding torture. In Germany, moreover, there has to be applied international criminal law given that criminal persecution is not guaranteed by some of the states with primary responsibility. The German investigatory agencies, therefore, have to finally act, also against the German federal government. Merkel and Steinmeier must reveal their information on torture and on the collaboration among the Federal government, the BKA, the BND, and the Federal Army.

Brussels, January 11th, 2006
Translated by Carla Krüger, January 13th , 2006