There were secret prisons of the CIA in “democratic” Lithuania!

It seemed that the subject of secret prisons of the CIA gradually came to naught, as suddenly there was very unpleasant surprise for adherents of true democracy: the Palestinian Abu Zubaydah publicly declared that he contained in the CIA secret prison in the territory of Lithuania. Besides, he also declared the intention to submit against this Baltic republic in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Abu Zubaydah reasonably believes that Lithuania is responsible for illegal deprivation of his freedom and as for tortures to which he was exposed, being in the CIA prison.

Now Abu Zubaydah contains in prison on the American military Guantanamo base, but it doesn't change the matter: the Interights human rights organization twisted that the claim will be surely sent to ECtHR. The representative of Interights intends to show the proofs of existence of “CIA prison” in Lithuania, no less than that fact that exactly here Abu Zubaydah was contained.

The Palestinian was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 – he was accused of participation in ubiquitous “Al-Qaeda” and, certainly, in terrorist activity. But, strangely enough, the official charges weren’t showed him … By the way Abu Zubaydah demands also that the Lithuanian authorities renewed the investigation concerning the placement of the CIA prison in the territory of the republic.

There is a sense to stop here in detail. But first of all, let’s speak how the world got to know about existence of the CIA secret prisons outside of the USA. In the spring of 2005, Washington Post, referring to the high-ranking American and European diplomats and the staff of intelligence services, has reported that CIA hides the arrested terrorists from “Al-Qaeda” in secret prisons which are in the Eastern Europe.
It was reported also that the secret prisons are located in eight countries and they are very necessary in opposition with terrorists …

The exact location of prisons is coded and at the desire of unnamed ranks of administration of the USA, the newspaper didn't begin to publish the name of the East Europe countries in which the prisons are located. The argument was given such: the disclosure of great secret can damage the fight against terror and even to make these countries as targets for acts of terrorism...

One and a half year has passed and the employees of security services of Poland and Romania have informed the representatives of the Council of Europe that really there were special prisons of the CIA in territory of their countries. It is interesting that the governments of Poland and Romania denied this fact! And the employees of special services have confirmed that fact that nobody from prisoners containing in the CIA prisons had no right to address in the Red Cross; moreover, “active methods of inquiry” were applied to some of them …

Then it became clear, as accused of terrorism got to prisons: as it turned out, the special agreement has been signed after the acts of terrorism in territory of the USA on September 11, 2001. Its essence is the following: the civil planes, which the CIA uses for transportation of arrested persons, acquire the right to unobstructed flight over the territories of the countries of NATO.

In the same 2006 year, the US president George Bush recognized the existence of secret prisons, but named their as necessary tool in the war with terrorists. He has told that the CIA doesn't subject the prisoners to tortures. In the end of the same year the General assembly of the United Nations accepts “the International convention on protection of all citizens against violent abductions”. Confidential prisons are like forbidden … But the theme again reminds of itself in 2008 when Khaled Abdu Ahmed Saleh Al-Maktari from Yemen tells to representatives of world famous human rights organization Amnesty International that he was contained in confidential prisons of the CIA for about three years. He has declared that was exposed to tortures: he was beaten, they didn't allow to sleep, forced to strip to the skin, tortured both by a heat and a cold, loud music, bright light … But the charge hasn't been besides shown him officially.

Khaled Abdu Ahmed Saleh Al-Maktari has been arrested in Iraq and has been placed in notorious prison Abu-Graib about which the whole world knows now. Later he has appeared in the prison in Afghanistan, and then, as he said, most likely, in one of the East Europe countries. BBC News has informed that the USA officially didn't recognize responsibility for his detention.

The human rights organizations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have informed in the meantime that special prisons operated in Poland, Thailand, Romania, Afghanistan, Jordan and Lithuania. They have learned not from messages of the Lithuanian mass-media about confidential prison of the CIA in Lithuania, which was disguised under school of riding – TV channel ABC News has told about it for the first time in the summer of 2009. Here the facts which have received the publicity then …

The confidential prison of the CIA was in settlement Antaviliai in 20 kilometers from Vilnius. It is absolutely near to summer residences of the Lithuanian officials. Earlier here there was a riding school. This information for АВС has been confirmed not only by the former employee of the CIA, but also by one of the Lithuanian officials. The building was got by company Elite, LLC, registered not somewhere, but in the USA and it was in March, 2004. The building has been quickly re-equipped: now there were chambers and premises for interrogations instead of a covered arena, the garage and also the system of an independent electrical supply with pressure of 110 volt have been equipped.

The question is how many persons were in the prison in the territory of Lithuania? Certainly, there is no answer. But, as АВС has informed, at the moment of disbandment and it happens in the end of 2005 after there was the information about special prisons of the CIA, there were eight persons in the given prison who have spent in prison more than a year. These prisoners have been transferred to other prisons. АВС has confirmed also that fact that the planes flied to Lithuania regularly enough on the instructions of the CIA. The conclusion has been made the following: the construction of confidential prison was some kind of a payment for entrance of Lithuania into NATO.

When truth has come to light and as it is known, the murder will out, the Lithuanian authorities had to react. It has turned out somehow clumsily … The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania the information, extended by the American TV channel, named as “hearings and fabrications”. The press-attache of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roland Kachinski has assured that there were no any “secret prisons of the USA” in territory of Lithuania in general.

But scandal flared up, it was necessary to begin the parliamentary investigation. The result has turned out the following: the members of parliamentary committee on national safety and defence have found out that all the same there was the confidential center in Lithuania used by the American special services. And even not one, but two – now it becomes clear why some foreign mass-media informed on presence of secret prison in Lithuania since 2001 …
But, as one would expect, the deputy investigation which was conducted about one and a half months, hasn't found the proofs that the found out objects were used as a prison. Well, there are no any traces of prisoners stay…. Though it has been recognized that in one of the centers, the premises for the maintenance of prisoners have been prepared… That fact became known also that the Department of the state security of Lithuania received the request from the CIA to equip the premises for the maintenance of prisoners.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Lithuania has made the investigation too, on the results of which has published the message that the obtained during its data and the expiry of the term of prescription don't give legal grounds for criminal prosecution of the former heads of Department of the state security of Lithuania. Therefore, according to the decision of the public prosecutor, the investigation was stopped. And what it was there: so, “signs of disciplinary infringement” and no more …

But on September, 29, something suddenly, the Amnesty International has declared that Lithuania is obliged to renew investigation as soon as possible. And also Abu Zubaydah has appeared – it is necessary to be answerable somehow. Though the international scandal is inevitable but what to do?! It is necessary to suffer for an accessory to the democratic world. You may well be repaid!