CIA flights report criticises UK

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The UK has been criticised for failing to co-operate with an inquiry into the alleged illegal CIA transfer of terror suspects to secret prisons in Europe.

A draft report from MEPs said there were "serious concerns" over planes linked to extraordinary rendition having stopovers at British airports.

Campaigners have claimed UK airspace has been used for transferring suspects to places where they could be tortured.

The government said it would not permit flights if such activity was suspected.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are clear the US would not render detainees through UK without our permission."

He said the US had only requested permission to transfer detainees via the UK on four occasions, in 1998. The government granted two of the requests and the individuals stood trial in the US.

The US has admitted the CIA had used prisons abroad for the secret detention of terror suspects but has not specified where the jails were and insisted torture had not taken place.

Interviews conducted

The report echoed claims by the Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog, that EU states were complicit in CIA operations.

MEPs spent two days in London questioning MPs, human rights groups, and relatives and lawyers of alleged victims of renditions.

The committee, which also met Europe Minister Geoff Hoon and government officials, said it "deplores the way in which the British government, as represented by its Minister for Europe, cooperated".

The Foreign Office said Mr Hoon met the committee to explain the government's view and answered all the questions put to him.