[JURIST Europe] French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie [official profile] has stated that contrary to press reports, French airports were 'apparently not' used by CIA 'ghost flights' [JURIST report] allegedly moving US detainees around the world where they might have been tortured for information. She stressed the fact that the CIA primarily uses American bases in Europe for flight stops and there are none in France. French newspaper Le Figaro [media website in French] reported last week that two CIA flights stopped over in France [JURIST report] – in Brest and Paris [Le Figaro report] – in 2002 and 2005. Alliot-Marie did, however, allude to lingering doubts about two other civilian flights that went from Oslo to an unmentioned Eastern European country and said that the Defence Ministry is continuing its investigation Expatica has local coverage.

Angela Onikepe is an Associate Editor for JURIST Europe, reporting European legal news from a European perspective. She is based in the UK.