Italy refuses to request extradition of CIA kidnap suspects

Italy’s justice minister has refused to send a request to the United States for the arrest and extradition of 22 purported CIA agents accused of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric in Milan in 2003.

Justice Minister Roberto Castelli made the announcement.

In a statement, he told Milan prosecutors who have accused the Americans that he had decided against forwarding their request to Washington.

Castelli, who previously called the prosecutor “anti-American”, had indicated he was unwilling to press the case, which had already damaged US-Italian relations.

It was unclear whether the prosecutors’ extradition request would be forwarded to Washington by a new government, expected to be headed by the centre-left after parliamentary elections held on Sunday and Monday.

Castelli is a member of Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right government, which according to official results, was voted out of office.

A new government is not expected to be formed until late May.

The prosecutors have accused 22 Americans of involvement in what they say was the 2003 kidnapping of the cleric – terrorist suspect Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, also known as Abu Omar.

They claim he was snatched by the CIA and spirited away to a US-Italian air base, flown to Germany and then to Egypt, where he says he was tortured.

The operation is believed to be part of the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” strategy to transfer terrorism suspects to third countries where some allegedly are subjected to torture.

Among those sought by the prosecutors is a former CIA station chief in Milan who has since returned to the United States.

Prosecutor Armando Spataro was unavailable for comment.