Editing Extraordinary rendition (section)

==== Italy ====
In the "[[Abu Omar case]]" in Italy, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr (aka Abu Omar), an Islamist cleric, was kidnapped in a joint CIA–[[SISMI]] operation in [[Milan]] on 17 February 2003, transferred to the [[Aviano Air Base]], and then flown to Egypt, where he was held until 11 February 2007, when an Egyptian court ruled his imprisonment was "unfounded".<ref name="ITH31">[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/16/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-CIA-Kidnap.php Italy indicts 31 linked to CIA rendition case], ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', 16 February 2007 {{in lang|en}}</ref> He claims he was abused on the Aviano Base and endured prolonged torture in Egypt. Italian prosecutors investigated the abduction, and indicted 26 US citizens including the head of CIA in Italy, [[Jeffrey W. Castelli]]. SISMI chief General [[Nicolò Pollari]] and second-in-command [[Marco Mancini]] were forced to resign, and were also indicted. On 4 November 2009, after a [[trial in absentia|trial ''in absentia'']], an Italian judge found [[Abu Omar case#American Defendants|23 Americans (names listed here)]] and the two Italians guilty. The sentences ranged from five to eight years for the Americans and three years each for the Italians.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091107220926/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFK6jJ12W23VZD-Hsw_RZIo67JnwD9BOUKQO0 Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnap case], 4 November 2009</ref> The judge acquitted three American diplomats, citing [[diplomatic immunity]], along with five Italian secret service agents, including the former chief, citing state secrecy.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39634807 Italy trial of CIA kidnapping case begins] NBC News 10 October 2010.</ref> In 2010 an Italian appellate court confirmed most of the verdicts and increased the sentences of the 23 Americans.<ref name="Italy Ups Sentences">The appellate court's written ruling explaining the reason for the increased sentences is due in March 2011. Winfield, Nichole [http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/12/15/2692767/italy-appeals-court-ups-us-sentences.html Italy appeals court ups US sentences in CIA trial]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Herald Online, 15 December 2010.</ref> Among those convicted was [[Steven Kappes|Stephen R. Kappes]], later the number two man at the CIA,<ref>Times Topics, [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/stephen_r_kappes/index.html?inline=nyt-per "Biography of Stephen R. Kappes"] ''The New York Times'', updated 15 April 2010.</ref> [[Robert Seldon Lady]], formerly CIA station Chief in Milan, Col. [[Joseph L. Romano]], a U S Air Force officer, and asserted CIA agent [[Sabrina De Sousa]], who unsuccessfully sued the US State Department to grant her diplomatic immunity and shield her from arrest.<ref name="Italy Ups Sentences" />

These were the first convictions anywhere in the world arising from the CIA's practice of abducting terror suspects and transferring them to third countries where torture occurred.<ref>Donadio, Rachel, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/world/europe/05italy.html "Italy Convicts 23 Americans for C.I.A. Renditions"]. ''The New York Times'', 4 November 2009.</ref> The US had tried but failed to obstruct the prosecutions by Italy's independent judiciary.<ref name="US Pressure">Goetz, John and Gebauer, Matthew, "[https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/cia-rendition-case-us-pressured-italy-to-influence-judiciary-a-735268.html US Pressured Italy to Influence Judiciary]", ''Der Spiegel'', 17 December 2010.</ref> Following the convictions the US used threats and diplomatic pressure to stop the Italian executive branch from issuing arrest warrants and extradition requests for the Americans.<ref name="US Pressure" />