03/19/2007

Before the Trial

"Germany is Partly to Blame"

The trial of 26 CIA agents accused of the 2003 abduction of Abu Omar in Milan is scheduled to begin in June. Whether Abu Omar will be able to leave Egypt to attend the trial remains unclear. The imam insists Germany is partly responsible for his ordeal.

Abu Omar's odyssey has been under investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Milan for more than four years. Investigators have meticulously put together evidence incriminating the alleged CIA kidnappers and their Italian helpers. Meanwhile, and despite tremendous resistance from the Italian government, the state prosecutor's office has filed charges against 26 CIA agents. The trial is scheduled to begin in June.

"I would very much like to be there in Milan. My lawyers have also registered me as a co-plaintiff. But so far it looks like Egypt won't let me leave the country, not even for the trial. Egypt would like to keep me quiet so I can't testify against the Americans and about torture in the prisons in this country. But I won't go along with that. Everyone should know what the CIA and Egypt have done to me. I've already heard the agents probably won't appear at the trial. It's still the right thing and symbolically important for my kidnappers and their bosses to be convicted. What happened to me must never happen again. I have paid a high price because I haven't kept quiet about the kidnapping and the torture. If my wife and I had not repeatedly spoken to journalists and smuggled information out of the prison, I would probably have been able to start leading a quiet life long ago. But I could not keep quiet. I cannot identify the men and women who kidnapped me. Still I would like to look them in the eye in the dock."

In addition to the trial in Italy, Abu Omar's lawyer also intends to file civil lawsuits against the CIA and Italy. He is still working to put together a team of lawyers.

"Italy helped my kidnappers, but at least there is an independent judiciary there that has now resolved the case. Both Italy and the United States are being sued by me and my lawyer. I want an apology and $20 million in compensation for what I had to suffer. A public apology will hopefully help to ensure that such activities can be prevented in the future."

The Abu Omar case also involves investigations in Germany. German lawyers have been researching the stopover of the CIA jet at the US air base in Ramstein for months.

"Germany is also partly to blame. After all, the Germans simply allowed the plane to land in Ramstein and then fly on. I've read that the Germans claim not to have known about the US renditions. I don't believe it. After Sept. 11, everyone knew the United States was doing everything it could, and it has abducted people before. Two people also disappeared from Germany. This practice was known about. I'm sticking to my view: All those who didn't take action against the CIA's secret flights abetted the CIA's activities."

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