National protectionism unable to kill CIA report - Ludford

11.52.27am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Feb 2007

The European Parliament has backed, by a good majority of 382 to 256 with 74 abstentions, the Fava report into extraordinary rendition and torture flights which finds evidence of active and passive collusion by European authorities. This result came after fierce lobbying against it by those governments.

Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, Vice-Chair of the investigating committee, said:

"The onslaught from EU governments using 'their' MEPs to try and weaken the report is in fact a tribute to its quality and force. But the European Parliament should not be the only keepers of Europe's conscience, national MPs such as those at Westminster must take up the baton.

"Labour MEPs were obviously ordered to secure deletion of criticism of UK Europe Minister Geoff Hoon. But this criticism was drafted by his Socialist ally Fava, not by a political opponent. The fact remains that it was on Hoon's watch as Defence Secretary that CIA planes linked to torture flights transited the UK and UK officials facilitated or failed to stop torture of British citizens and residents.

"Mr Hoon must be gratified that sympathy for him came today from the Conservative party in the form of MEP Roger Helmer. When the right springs to the defence of a Labour government Liberal Democrats know we are on to something."