JURIST - Paper Chase: Italy judge indicts 31 in CIA kidnapping case

[JURIST] Italian Judge Caterina Interlandi issued indictments Friday for 31 US and Italian intelligence agents for their alleged role in the February 17, 2003 abduction [JURIST news archive; WP timeline] and extraordinary rendition of alleged terror suspect Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr [Wikipedia profile; JURIST news archive] in Milan. Prosecutor Armando Spataro has alleged that 25 Americans working for the Central Intelligence Agency, one United States Air Force colonel, and five Italians from Italy's Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISMI) [official websites], including former director Nicolo Pollari, colluded to kidnap Nasr from Milan. Nasr was then allegedly transferred from Aviano Air Base to Alexandra, Egypt and turned over to Egypt's State Security Intelligence (SSI), where he was allegedly tortured before being released [JURIST report] Sunday. The trial is slated to begin June 8.

In October, Italian prosecutors completed their investigation [JURIST report] and sought the extradition of the 26 American defendants [JURIST report]. Previous attempts by the prosecutors to request extradition have been stonewalled [JURIST report] by the Italian government. Spataro has said he would be forced to try the American defendants in absentia [JURIST report] if extradition is denied. US and Italian intelligence agents have pressed for a political resolution [JURIST report] of the case. AP has more.

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