The former Chief of Polish Intelligence Service, Zbigniew Siemiatkowski, has been charged of participation in organising secret CIA detention camps in a former military base in Stare Kiejkuty, Poland.

The investigation has been ongoing since 2008, when information about camps was been revealed by Polish newspaper ‘Rzeczpospolita’, followed by an article in Washington Post. Intelligence Service refused access to information on these secret camps, dismissing them as confidential, unless the Supreme Court ordered them to do so.

The United States displayed their frustration at the Polish approach to the case as other American allies, including Lithuania and Romania, were reluctant to reveal information about the secret CIA camps established in their own jurisdictions. According to Wikileaks, the Polish government attempted to cover up the scandal and to bring the investigation to an end as swiftly as they could. Moreover, the Polish government wanted to introduce a common position with the US government on CIA camps.

Much information on secret CIA camps has still not been revealed because of its security classification, however, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights has collected documents which found that American planes landed in Szymany, close to Stare Kiejkuty, with passengers from Afghanistan,however, some of passengers were not brought back from Poland.

At least two Saudi citizens have been injured during the investigation and they are currently being held in Guantanamo. According to investigation documents, they were subjectively deprived of their freedom and subjected to torture. One of the victim noted that some members of the CIA put a bag around his head whilst also placing a gun to his head and switching on a drill close by.

On March 27, 2012 the public hearing took place in the European Parliament on CIA camps in Europe. Unfortunately, no one represented Polish government or Intelligence Office as they claimed that their schedules are full and secret information cannot be revealed in public hearing. Adam Bodnar from Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights presented information, Foundation accessed, on CIA camps in Poland.

Agnieszka Miszczuk
Intern at HumanRights TV
28 March 2012