Egypt release 'rendition' cleric/ BBC

[TexasLawyer]

Monday, 12 February 2007, 00:21 GMT

Egypt release 'rendition' cleric

A Muslim cleric allegedly kidnapped by CIA agents in Italy and handed over to the Egyptian authorities has been released, his lawyer has said. The cleric, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, has said he was tortured while in detention in Egypt.

His lawyer Montasser al-Zayat confirmed that his client had been released and was now back with his family. The case was said to be an example of rendition, whereby terror suspects are transferred abroad for questioning.

Washington has acknowledged secret transfers of terrorism suspects to third countries but denies torturing suspects or handing them to countries which do torture.

<snip>

Prosecutors have said the cleric was snatched on a Milan street and flown, via Germany, to his native Egypt where he was interrogated. The cleric has accused Egyptian agents of using electric shocks, beatings and rape threats against him.

<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6352717.stm

[maddezmom]

1. Abducted Egyptian cleric released (CIA/Italy)

By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press Writer
46 minutes ago

CAIRO, Egypt - An Egyptian Muslim preacher allegedly kidnapped by CIA agents off the streets of an Italian city and taken to Egypt has been released, his lawyer and a security official said Monday.

(Advertisement)
Attorney Montasser al-Zayat said Osama Hassan Mustafa Nasr, known as Abu Omar, was ordered freed Sunday by an Egyptian State Security Court that found his detention in Egypt "unfounded."

Al-Zayat said Nasr was released at a police station in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the court's ruling and Abu Omar's release.

"He was freed and he is now at his family home Alexandria," al-Zayat told The Associated Press. "I talked to him, and he is fine, but said he wants to have some rest."

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070212/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_cleric_released

[maddezmom]

2. Freed Egyptian cleric could testify against CIA in Milan: lawyer

ROME (AFP) - Freed Egyptian cleric Osama Mustafa Hassan may now be able to testify at preliminary hearings into his alleged abduction by US and Italian intelligence services, his wife's lawyer has said.

~snip~

A lawyer for the CIA agents, Guido Meroni, said Hassan's testimony could help identify the accused, so far known only by false names, in what the Italian press dubs "CIA-gate."

"He could provide some new information, since we don't know anything about the true identity of some of the accused," he told the Italian news agency ANSA Monday.

But Milan's deputy prosecutor Armando Spataro told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that if the former imam of Milan's main mosque returned to Italy he would be arrested, since he remains under investigation for alleged membership of a recruitment cell for fighters in Iraq.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070212/wl_mideast_afp/egyptusitalyciakidnaphearings_070212134324

[Eugene]

3. Reuters: Imam wants to sue Berlusconi over CIA "kidnap"

Imam wants to sue Berlusconi over CIA "kidnap"
12 Feb 2007 17:51:44 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Aziz El-Kaissouni and Phil Stewart

CAIRO/ROME, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A Muslim cleric freed from a prison in Egypt four years
after being grabbed in Milan in a suspected CIA kidnapping wants to sue former Italian
premier Silvio Berlusconi for damages, his lawyer said on Monday.

-snip-

Any lawsuit would have to be carried out without Nasr, as the Egyptian-born imam said
he had no plans to return to Italy to give evidence -- even to a judge considering
indicting 26 Americans on kidnapping charges.

"I've been reduced to a wreck of a human being," Nasr told Italy's ANSA news agency
by telephone. "I cannot speak. I cannot leave the country. I don't want to go to prison
again."

A judge has issued an arrest warrant for Nasr in Italy arising from an investigation into
his possible links to terrorist activities, including recruiting combatants for Iraq.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L12917339.htm