In Europe’s Lithuania, a house is being sold in which high profile prisoners were kept. It was used by the CIA to interrogate terrorists.
Vilnius : An old CIA ‘black site’ in Europe’s Lithuania is being sold, where the terrorist organization Al Qaeda prisoners were kept. It is also called ‘Project No. 2’ or ‘Detention Site Violet’. It was used by the CIA between 2005 and 2007 after capturing high-profile suspected terrorists. Here they were kept and interrogated.
Various means available for torture
According to claims made in the European Court of Human Rights, the detainees were kept in sound-proof rooms, where they were kept in chains and blindfolded. His eyes were illuminated brightly and loud noises were made in the room, due to which he could not sleep.
The mastermind of 9/11 and Al Qaeda trainer were also kept here.
The detainees who were kept here included Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11 and Abu Zubeida, a recruiter and trainer of Al Qaeda. After the closure of this site by the CIA, it was used for the Lithuanian Intelligence Service. Since the year 2017, it is being looked after by the Real Estate Fund of the country, which is now selling it.
There are 10 small rooms without windows
The site has its own water supply and generator is also present. There is a main building with steel barn for administrative facilities. The barn has 10 soundproof and windowless cubicles where prisoners were kept. It is believed that before the prisoners were taken to the cubicles without windows, their beards and hair were shaved. After this, their feet were tied with blindfolds.
The court ruled in favor of the victim
The man who led the Lithuanian investigation into the site in 2010 says it is a place “where you can do whatever you want”. The European Court was made aware of all these things in 2018 and finally the court ruled in favor of Zubaida, saying that the torture was in violation of international law. Earlier this year it was revealed that Lithuania has paid Zubaida $100,000 in compensation for her treatment.
This site was closed in 2006
The Lithuanian site was closed in 2006 after the government refused to hospitalize the third prisoner, Mustafa al-Housawi. The Pentagon refused to help, so the CIA paid millions of dollars to get aid from third-party countries. ‘Black sites’ were used by the CIA as part of its counter-terrorism program. However, after 9/11 the program was expanded and used to lead suspected al Qaeda detainees to ‘black sites’.
CIA sites in many countries
Sites in Lithuania, Poland, Egypt, Syria and Afghanistan, although considered outside US jurisdiction, are not controlled by those countries. They are used to hold high profile prisoners suspected of joining terrorist groups. Modern techniques are used for questioning here. These include waterboarding, which provides the feeling of drowning without being physically harmed. Although the purpose of these sites was to obtain information related to terrorist activities, but in a 2014 report by the US Senate, they were considered ‘brutal’.
