Poland ex-spy boss ‘charged over alleged CIA secret prison’

Gazeta Wyborcza explained that the cases against the two are based on
documents released to prosecutors by the foreign intelligence agency
detailing links with the CIA in the first years of Washington’s proclaimed
“war on terror”.

The case brought against the ex-spy chief makes Mr Siemiatowski the first
Polish official to face the possibility of trial over the “black site”
scandal since an investigation into allegations that the CIA had operated a
base in Poland in contravention to Polish law started in 2008.

Despite repeated denials from former Polish government ministers about the
existence of the base a Council of Europe report said Warsaw permitted the
CIA to open a secret holding pen on a military base in Stare Klejkuty, in
north-east Poland, in December 2002 for “high-value detainees”.

Classified as “passengers” for bureaucratic purposes the prisoners were
apparently flown into a nearby civilian airport on non-military aircraft.
They were then taken to the base where they were subject to “enhanced
interrogation” techniques.

One of prisoners, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi national wanted by the CIA
on suspicion of involvement in the bombing of the USS Cole in Aden harbour
in 2000, has claimed he was threatened with a pistol during his time in
Poland while on another occasion an interrogator scared him by switching on
an electric drill.

A Polish intelligence agency source quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza said Poland only
provided transport to a villa on the base, which was “off limits to Poles”.

The charges brought against Mr Siemiatowski could place more pressure on
Leszek Miller, Poland’s prime minister when the base was apparently
operational. Rumours of prosecutor’s preparing a case against the politician
strengthened in the wake of the latest revelations, and prompted Mr Miller
to issue another denial over the base’s existence.

“According to my knowledge, and as I have told you many times before, there
were no CIA prisons in Poland,” he said at a press conference.

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