Reuters: EU-U.S. extradition treaty worries U.N. rights expert

[Eugene]

EU-U.S. extradition treaty worries U.N. rights expert
Tue Oct 3, 2006 11:05am ET

By David Brunnstrom

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A new extradition treaty between the European Union
and the United States could be used to legitimize extra-judicial transfers
of terrorist suspects and needs clarification, a U.N. expert said on Tuesday.

Martin Scheinin, U.N. special rapporteur for the protection of human rights
in counter-terrorism, said article 12 of the 2003 treaty stipulates that states
do not have to authorize air transit of a suspect if there is no landing on
their territory.

That raised concerns because the article did not spell out that it should apply
only to legal extradition of a suspect -- bringing someone to trial or for
punishment, he said.

"I see that it could be used for legitimizing the process of extraordinary
rendition," he said, referring to CIA operations to fly untried suspects for
imprisonment or interrogation in third countries to avoid U.S. laws against
torture.

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Full article: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-10-03T150449Z_01_L03195390_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-EU-CIA.xml