Abu Zubaida

The investigation into an alleged CIA black site in the Masovian village of Stare Kiejkuty has been extended by six months, a spokesperson for the Warsaw prosecutor's office confirms to Polish press agency PAP.

According to a source quoted by PAP, the prosecution requires additional evidence and is at present unable to conclude the investigation. Even though the exact nature of this evidence remains obscure, it is likely to include witness statements of the alleged victims. As Polish public TV reports, the prosecution filed a request for mutual legal assistance to the US to hear Abu Zubaida and Abd al Nashiri in this capacity, and are waiting for a reply. Both are currently held in Guantanamo.

The prosecution has already admitted that more than ten CIA flights landed in Szymany airport, which may also have carried prisoners. Whereas this fact is evident from flight plans that are now freely available on the internet, it is more difficult to establish whether prisoners were tortured inside a potential detention facility, in particular if both the alleged victims and perpetrators cannot be heard.

Polish public broadcaster TVP reports that an investigation into alleged secret CIA prisons on Polish territory may have yielded first results. According to a source, Polish investigators have evidence on the exact date prisoner Abu Zubaida was transferred to and from Szymany airport. He is said to have arrived in December 2002 and departed in September 2003.

Files recently released by Wikileaks may help to shed light on the fate of various other prisoners, in particular Abd al Nashiri. Warsaw prosecutor Robert Majewski confirmed that all relevant files will be translated and taken into account.

Read more on TVP.

For other WL Central coverage on the topic please see here.