German Citizen 'Tortured and Sodomized' by CIA, Rules Court

European judgment condemns US agency

A German citizen was "tortured and sodomized" by CIA agents while secretly detained as a terror suspect, according to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, reported in the UK Guardian.

The CIA imprisoned Khaled el-Masri for three weeks in Macedonia and four weeks in Afghanistan during 2004. They then released him back into Germany after admitting he had been wrongly detained.

The European court described the CIA's treatment as torture – the first time they've applied that term to the agency's activities. The ruling found Macedonia guilty of violating el-Masri's human rights for allowing him to be detained and tortured in their jurisdiction, and ordered the nation to pay him $80,000 compensation.

The UN's "special rapporteur" on human rights and counter-terrorism has called on the US government to apologize and voluntarily pay compensation to Mr. el-Masri.

Via the Guardian and Fox News.

Should the US apologize for the CIA's actions?

[FFX_VA]

The UN has credibility issues, they have corruption and power play issues across the spectrum, but if an independent US investigation confirms the allegations then we should be held accountable.

[woodtick57]

And what US agency doesnt have corruption and credibility issues?

[FFX_VA]

@woodtick57 Hmm, lets see. State Dept, Office of the Presidency, Congress, GSA, FLRA, EPA, FEMA... Oh, sry, you said "doesn't". That list is easier ___.:-)

[woodtick57]

@FFX_VA So if the CIA themselves admitted he was wrongly detained, what would the independent US investigation be for?

[FFX_VA]

@woodtick57 You really do trust what the CIA says don't you... I don't even do that!

If the US Govt is going to offer this man compensation or open themselves up to a lawsuit Justice Dept needs to conduct an investigation beyond CIA's admission. It's a liability and international law issue. State Dept will be involved too. Dot the i's cross the T's and all that.

[MBernard]

Apologize and pay. No arguments.

[PoliticalSpice]

Put the cia agents on trial. This is the very type of crime Nazis were found guilty of at Nuremberg. That is how this should be looked at by the international community, and they should not let the u.s. get away with it.

[tomincali]

@PoliticalSpice reads like someone also needs to face sexual assault charges.

[jessejaymes]

@PoliticalSpice That won't happen. Because to do what we did with the Nazi's means that those who approved the CIA torturing would be put on trial and you and I both know Dick Cheney and GW Bush will never be put on trial.

[martydotcom]

@PoliticalSpice Would love to see Senate Report on Torture
http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-a...

[PoliticalSpice]

@jessejaymes Well maybe somewhere outside the u.s.

[stepped_in_it]

I only said no because this might be some rouge agent actions. BUT, the CIA (like any other "police" type agency) has to learn to fix itself. Allowing these type situations only puts a bad spotlight on the agency, which is not what they want.(like running guns into Mexico...idiots)

[Cheenoguy]

If a police officer mistreats a citizen against policy and standards of the department the department is still legally responsible. If a corporate employee causes harm to a customer while ignoring corporate policy the corporation is held responsible. Why should the CIA be any different?

[stepped_in_it]

@Cheenoguy You're right. Didn't think about compensation. So yes, the injured party should be compensated.

[stepped_in_it]

@Cheenoguy But, one thing. Sodomized? Secret Service having hooker parties? What, are all our agencies full of perverts? Or is this just the way our society has become?

[woodtick57]

@stepped_in_it Don't ask dont tell...

[woodtick57]

I think it would be the rouge agent that did the sodomizing...the rogue agent did the torturing....

:)

[UnCommonBoston]

I am glad to see this in the news again. What happened is horrific and an embarrassment to this country. We should apologize and pay up. Then there needs to be an investigation. Who ordered this? Why? Is this still happening?

[PoliticalSpice]

Apologize? Not only that, those involved should be arrested and put on trial for kidnapping and assault and battery. The u.s. now officially promotes the very activities american and other judges found nazis guilty for at nuremberg. Absolutely disgusting.

[Keyjo]

For $80,000.00, they can sodomize me!
(Refer to the Harvard article!)

[WireNewsCo]

These power thugs always sodomize their victims. They are sick.

[Sonny]

Yes, and they should also compensate him for the crimes they committed against him....And then hope and pray that the agents who did this are not then arrested and sent overseas to some international court for trial......Americans don't torture people...and the CIA clowns (and their bosses who ordered this) need to be held accountable!

[Fishbone345]

So we can't even figure out foreign nationals are innocent, and people think we will police our own better?

[Sharpshooter]

How about FUCK NO!!!! The European Court of Human Rights is a bit sketchy to me.... We're not allowed to be a member because we're not in Europe. The list of "Member States" tells all, a bunch of piss ant countries not big enough to be a "Battleground State" makes up the majority of their roster.

The recognized their relatively low impact in the useless UN and decided to start their own league.

Their entire point is to pressure powerful countries to kneel before them in deference to their newly minted power. Personally I would just relieve myself in the corner of their great hall and call it a day.

[RobertJHarsh]

The CIA should apologize, but it won't. They could care less and the people who tortured him and tortured a few thousand more since then and probably forgot the guy until they read this in the news.

[DARSB]

I remember stories of torture and abuse like this during the Cold War, but then it was always the evil Communists doing the secret prisons and torture.

[Registre56]

No.

[Jackie312gm]

Key words,TERROR SUSPECT!! enemies of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA deserve no mercy. Stop them at all cost before they hurt or kill any innocent Americans; end of story! The war on terrorism has more collateral damage than conventional war. There should be no apologies!!! JACK JACKAL, U.S.M.C.

[ded]

> before they hurt or kill any innocent Americans

There's nothing special about Americans. Innocent people everywhere should be protected from harm. Try to put forth less juvenile opinions.

[Jackie312gm]

@ded every human life should be protected. I agree. I must by oath protect AMERICANS first. Unless you ded pick up a rifle and do it yourself. P.S. VERY INPORTANT DATE TO REMEMBER.........9-11-01.

[ded]

@Jackie312gm 9-11-01 Not really. The USA has killed many times more innocents in response than were killed on that day. We're all terrorists.

[Jackie312gm]

@ded have a nice weekend.

[ded]

@Jackie312gm Your taxes are paying for a man to be raped during a torture session. What sort of country do you think you live in?

[DogLady_1]

Wow, now that torture is legal, I'm looking forward to finding out which neighbor of mine took my shovel!

[kirbstomp1]

The CIA needs to be dismantled. Its been corrupt since the beginning and causes alot of uproars worldwide.

[MarkJM]

No we shouldn't apologize, and if those idiots at the UN don't like it, we should remind them of how much the US taxpayers shell out to fund those jackasses (Here's a hint: it's well over 70%)...

[KyleMFb]

Hey this is America we don't apologize for anything but since when is butt rape Apart of interrogation

[AceLuby]

The CIA shouldn't even be an agency and is just another example of militaristic overreach, along w/ just about everything post 9/11. It goes back to Truman and Ike, dropping the bomb after Japan's surrender, the red scare, 'communists', turning Russia into an enemy to push more weapon building, etc... All to keep the American public scared so that they can justify taking our rights away and spending gross amounts of money on the war machine. 70 years later and nothing has changed.