STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – The United States flew detainees to countries where they would be tortured and European governments probably knew about it, the head of a European human rights investigation said on Tuesday.

But Swiss senator Dick Marty said in a preliminary report for the Council of Europe human rights watchdog that he had found no irrefutable evidence to confirm allegations that the CIA operated secret detention centers in Europe.

His report kept pressure on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency over the charges that it flew prisoners through European airports to jails in third countries, but Washington denied any wrongdoing and critics said the report contained nothing new.

“There is a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of ‘relocation’ or ‘outsourcing of torture’,” Marty told the 46-nation Council, based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.

“It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware.”

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The debate on Extraordinary Rendition was broadcast live by the Council of Europe this morning.

The press conference that followed can be watched here

“The Council of Europe publish an interrim report this morning “It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware of the ”rendition” of more than a hundred persons affecting Europe, according to Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty, whose interim assessment was made public today in an information memorandum. Citing statements made by American officials and others, Mr Marty also said there was ”a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of ”relocation” or ”outsourcing” of torture”. He welcomed the arrival yesterday of detailed information he had requested from Eurocontrol and the EU’s Satellite Agency. The Parliamentary Assembly will hold a debate on this question today at 10 am.”

The information memorandum is available as a PDF or HTML file

The committee also held an exchange of views on suspected abductions on European soil, and alleged illegal transport of detainees from or through Europe to countries where the persons are at risk of torture, with:

– Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan

– Professor Manfred Nowak, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture

– John Sifton, Human Rights Watch, New York