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A leading Greek lawyer will today present a dossier to parliament in Athens of the treatment of 28 detainees by MI6 officers. Frangiscos Ragoussis alleges that the detainees were hooded and held in secret.
The men, all of Pakistani origin, claim that they were threatened by two British agents who warned them that their families in Greece and the UK would suffer also if they dared complain about their treatment.
These allegations come at an awkward time for the Government, which is facing demands for an investigation into the CIA’s use of British airports to ferry al-Qaeda suspects to secret prisons in Europe and the Middle East.
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, denied yesterday that British airports had been used by the United States for so-called “extraordinary rendition” flights taking terrorist suspects for interrogation in third countries.
If Greek MPs decide to investigate the claims of mistreatment British ministers may have to defend the behaviour of its agents abroad. Mr Blair insists that Britain’s security services do not use torture here or overseas.
Security chiefs have never said how many were detained at their request, or what happened to these suspects.
Most of the 28 detained in Greece are still too scared to say anything, but one, Hizar Hayet, 32, has claimed that he was questioned about a series of mobile telephone calls linked with some of the four suicide bombers. None of the men was charged.
The late night raids on addresses in Athens and the northern town of Ioannina came a week after the London bombings but have only now come to light because of Mr Ragoussis’s intervention.
He wants ministers to explain why British agents were apparently allowed to conduct a terrorist investigation in Greece and break the country’s laws.
Colonel Lefteris Economou, spokesman for the Greek Public Order Ministry, said: “No Hellenic law enforcement agency has been involved. Moreover, I would also like to point out that no relevant complaint has been filed.”
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