Amnesty International has revealed that six planes used by the CIA for renditions included the Gulfstream III: N829MG. A plane of the same make took dual Syrian-Canadian national Maher Arar from the US to Syria where he was detained for 13 months' without charge, during which time he was tortured. He was finally released in October 2003. PHOTO © Sam Chui
Corporate Accountability in the "War on Terror"
Companies Providing Airplanes for Renditions
Amnesty International has exposed a covert operation, called rendition, whereby people have been arrested or abducted, transferred and held in secret, or handed over to countries where they have faced torture and other ill-treatment. The aim of rendition in the "war on terror" is usually to facilitate interrogation of suspects outside the reach of the law.
This practice has been undertaken by the CIA in conjunction with private aircraft operators and front companies to preserve the secrecy of rendition flights. Amnesty International is concerned about the role private companies have played in assisting the illegal rendition of detainees, and believes that these companies risk being complicit in human rights violations.
Amnesty International has reviewed unpublished flight records showing that aircraft known to have been used by the CIA in its practice of "rendition" have made thousands of flights in or out of European airports and airspace since October 2001. Although unable to verify all the facts regarding these transfers because of the secrecy surrounding them, Amnesty International believes that the number of individuals who have become victims of this practice is in the hundreds.
- Take Action!
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- Stop Illegal Kidnappings Known as "Renditions"
- Sign a petition urging President Bush to stop the practice of rendition.
- Rendition Report:
- View Amnesty's new report, Below the radar: Secret flights to torture and 'disappearance'
- Ask Amnesty: Online Questions and Answers about Rendition
- Outsourcing Torture – An online discussion about the government's program of outsourcing torture through rendition.
- Lives Torn Apart – An online discussion about the impacts of renditions and indefinite detention.
- AI Letters to Companies:
- View a sample of the letters AI sent in March 2006 to companies allegedly involved in rendition flights.
- Air Torture:
- More information about Amnesty's work on rendition and torture in the "war on terror"
- Partners in Crime: Europe's Role in U.S. Renditions – A report that highlights the willingness of a handful of European countries to provide airports and airspace for US renditions.
- Connecting the Dots, – A flash movie that illustrates how we are all connected to acts of torture and what we can do to stop it.
- Learn about Private Military Contractors in the "war on terror"
- Learn more about Amnesty International's Denounce Torture initiative
