Amnesty International Urges Obama Administration to Repudiate Extraordinary Rendition as Italian Court Convicts American Spies

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tom Parker, Amnesty International USA's policy director for (counter) terrorism and human rights, issued the following statement in response to the Italian court's decision to convict 23 Americans in the CIA kidnapping case of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, known as Abu Omar:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081014/AILOGO)

"Today, U.S. intelligence officers have been convicted of serious criminal acts by a close ally. In addition to underscoring just how far beyond the law the previous administration was willing to venture in its 'rendition' program, this decision is a graphic illustration of just how damaging practices such as kidnapping and torture are to America's national security.

"Continuing these practices will inevitably have a chilling effect on countries' willingness to work with the United States until nations can be sure that America will no longer operate as a rogue nation outside the law.

"The United States shouldn't need a foreign court to distinguish right from wrong. The Obama administration must repudiate the unlawful practice of extraordinary rendition - and hold accountable those responsible for having put this system in place -- or his administration will end up as tarnished as his predecessor's."

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.