The former head of the Polish intelligence services may face charges for his assistance to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in operating a secret prison in Poland. Zbigniew Siemiatkowski told Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza on March 27 that he could face charges for his association with the prison and the allegations of torture that occurred there.

Polish prosecutors began investigating the prison and its activities in September 2010 after a request was filed by the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) and the lawyers of alleged torture victim Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. In March of last year, prosecutors asked US officials to question two Guantánamo Bay detainees, including al-Nashiri, who claim they were held and abused at the site. Executive director of OSJI, James Goldston, stated that, "[t]he United States government should swiftly respond to the Polish prosecutor's requests for information on CIA black sites. The allegations of human rights abuses associated with the CIA's illegal rendition program must be properly investigated to secure justice for the victims and prevent future misconduct."

From Jurist, March 28. Used with permission.

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