thirty am in moscow these iraqi headlines a sports team perishes than a country mourns after wednesday's plane crash near the city of jaroslav those forty three including the members of one of russia's top ice hockey teams tragedy also touched other nations as players from many countries were on board on their way to developers for the first match of the season. twenty years behind bars a russian pilot arrested in the us thing operation in liberia sentenced for conspiring to smuggle drugs and he insists on his innocence while moscow previously accused the u.s. of conducting an illegal arrest and rendition. the

british government under fire for stopping it inquest into the death of weapons expert david kelly who insisted iraq never had weapons of mass destruction usual cause of the death of suicide again being questioned by doctors. next we look into the operations of u.s. and european security services and mounting allegations they've been violating human rights interview coming up. today we're joined by mr thomas harbored european commissioner for human rights talking to us from a stars were thanks very much mr however for joining us now let's get right to where what we know that there were cia prisons in europe and people were tortured and then now you're pushing for the truth what more should be known there is a lot more to know in fact because we haven't had the full account for what really happened and who took the decisions and on what grounds when these black sites were

established on european sort of the things that we still have to know what do you think is most important i think we have to learn from history and unfortunately during this period of ten years there are serious human rights violations for committed and we have an atmosphere impunity when it comes to these violations of human rights and i think the truce has to come out on both really happened who took the decisions who allowed the establishment of these secret places of detention and thereby allowing torture to take place now this is the story came to light and there have been some governments ordering investigations what they found very little so far do you think it's possible that they're deliberately trying to play down and if so is there any proof of them doing so well there is an enormous pressure from washington to keep all this secret in fact instructions from from cia with the support of the way toes not to give any facts on this so therefore it's

not easy to investigate but i think that some of the european governments have been the more they have to decide whether they think that the corporation between the security agencies are more important than to attack to look into human rights violations and break the field of impunity ok well we're talking here about european officials authorizing these rendition sites but what about those who. actually masterminded and those who were directly involved do you think say officials will ever be held accountable for their actions unfortunately it's not likely but if the european governments could take this step to really put out everything they know and publish that it may start a process in united states where the accountability also there is this published but why is it not likely. it's not likely because this is there is an atmosphere of security confidentiality around this. notion that when it comes to their typically

so it security agency the truth should not be told to the public and i think that is a real problem because here we have had corporation between the united states security agency and european agencies under which human rights violations were seriously seriously violated and it is very important that we know when we know that the violations were made that we establish that there should be the democratic control of this acute agencies activities well there are claims that the u.s. and the u.k. set prisoners to be tortured in libya to the gadhafi regime does that seem likely to you yes it's very likely and it fits a pattern and also there are no documents being discovered in tripoli which show that this actually did happen ok and you've seen a proof of such things happening yourself no not myself but i have been reports

last year from human rights watch showing that there was such activities and typically this is not made a subject for comment from the cia in washington because they have the policy of never make and the public comments on such revelations of the commander of the rebel forces that's. simply he demanded an apology from western powers over his. is a legislation two thousand and four and i legit lee was arrested in bangkok and had to get off the forces for torture now how do you think they're going to explain their alleged murky deals with gadhafi to the rebels because now they're essentially on the same side. i think that question has to be given to to washington there is an explanation given there but he was obviously one of those who were picked up during this so-called war on terror he was in one town and more that's shown and he was obviously one of those who are badly treated and i think he

and others this is an apology some of them who were brought there to count on him or or to the sacred places of detention or to partner countries of the united states in this where they were tortured they were not probably not innocent but still even people who are on good ground suspected they have the right to certain protection when it comes to human rights including not to be tortured by the rebels are now in control and foreigners are reportedly in danger especially black africans because i well there have been accusations of them being about these mercenaries how do you think this will affect the building of a democratic society in libya you know i'm not an expert on the my focus is on europe but obviously there is a problem there and human rights organizations have already reported about problems when it comes to how rebels have dealt with africans who have been accused of being mercenaries for. we could just do our best in order to ensure that those people are

well treated some of them of course may well be genuine refugees from other parts of africa who were trying to reach europe past via libya and got stuck there and i think it's very important that also european governments deal with refugees from libya coming from other parts of africa in line with international standards when it comes to decide. definitely policies oh looking at the humanitarian crisis now in libya that has been reported what do you think is the area that needs the most attention at the moment and how are they going to going to go about solving these humanitarian problems i mean this is very general can we break them down here first of all it is important to establish security in the country so that the normal life could start again secondly to build democracy because there was no democracy there which is a very difficult challenge and i hope that there could be a generous approach from from europe to share the experiences we had when it comes

to the steps to be taken in order to build institutions democratic once and for. genuine willow people to be channeled into political decision making ok well going back to what you were an expert on those plots sites what do you think is the next step now that the story house come out into the public in poland they have already started through the prosecutor and investigation and i think it's very important that his work is protected and there is no attempt to slow down his work because he's sensitive when relationship with the united states in the remainder of their work hasn't really started there was one investigation by a political group from the senate but the prosecutor has not started an investigation and i really hope that office will now take the initiative and start and rush into the situation and come up with a report now you're saying it's important that the investigation is not blocking

earlier you were expressing your concerns that there could be directives from higher up to to not give enough information how do you go about going about that hurdle the way you're dealing with governments here it's very difficult to process this notion that activities by the security agencies and their cooperation between themselves so be kept secret at all cost i think that is really the notion that we . we have now to start discussing because so many human rights violations have been committed under that notion and the time has come to establish a democratic control of the security agencies they should not be allowed to take action which violate basic human rights yes should not be but do you think that just let's just look at concrete actions we're talking about what is right what is wrong from your point of view but concrete actions i'm just wondering really legally speaking will it be possible to get all of the truth out i think it will be very difficult unfortunately but i hope that the discussion that may come now will

encourage some other politicians to take greater steps and position when it comes to this because it is not acceptable that we have states within the states who are run on undemocratic basis and violating human rights the security agencies must be put under democratic control and they are not for the moment in my opinion but you said you're using the tap out of verse three of nine eleven to raise the issue of cia black sites so why is that because. you know. i think that the first priority of course is to pay respect to the victims of the attack on the united states ten years ago but then we also have at the same time to look at how the u.s. government and european governments respond to this attack and unfortunately i think there's a lot of lessons to be learned from how this war on terror so-called war on terror was conducted which allowed for very serious human rights violations which

unfortunately also had the effect that terrorism has spread the militant groups have increased. the number of people killed and many of them innocent do in those ten years they also deserve some respect in this situation and therefore i think it's absolutely important that. the way we handled this gruesome attack will be under an honest discussion so that we don't repeat this in the future and speaking of the militant groups you just released a report based on your visit to russia's north caucasus which is of course i read an amount by sporadic violence by terrorists how do you assess the struggle against the terrorists over there the struggle is still going on there have been some positive initiatives taken a lot of money has been put on budgets in order to improve the standard of living

in the area. there is a focus more on the social dimension of this the roots for terrorism which i think is very possible but unfortunately there is still also a problem of impunity that the crimes which have been committed including by law enforcement forces have not been so satisfactorily addressed and that people are guilty responsible have not been brought to justice so there is still a need to do more when it comes to that aspect will thank you very much for your time mr thomas harburg human rights commissioner of the council of europe thank you . thank you you.

thank .

sports team perishes and a nation mourns grafter wednesday's plane crash near the city of jaroslava kills forty three including the members of one of russia's top ice hockey teams tragedy also touched other nations as players from many countries were on board on the way to voters for the first match of the season. twenty years behind bars a russian pilot arrested in the u.s. sting operation in liberia sentenced for conspiring to smuggle drugs because he insists on his innocence while bastar previously accused the u.s. of conducting an illegal arrest and rendition. the british government under fire for stopping an inquest into the death of weapons expert david kelly who insisted iraq never had weapons of mass destruction fishel cause of death of suicide again

being questioned by doctors. more news coming your way in less than a quarter hour first so the sports. hello there thanks for watching the sports at least other headlines. tributes pour in from around the world following the locomotive disaster which killed thirty seven ice hockey stars. plus spot i'm also will appeal against dr developed in the six game ban for a challenge on t iscar he put you back in fear. and it's a washout at the u.s. open is rain holds play for second day at flushing meadows. but first the start of the new k.h. l. season has been perspiring didn't definitely following the tragic crash which killed practically the whole of the locomotive yaroslav all ice hockey team thirty

seven players are among the forty three people who died when the plane came down just after takeoff only one player survived the russian alexander gallimore but he's in a serious condition with ninety percent burns the smalling calle chief decided to cancel all games until further notice a lot of my teeth were heading to minsk the play their season opener when their plane came down just outside paris level shortly after takeoff yesterday the russian built yank forty two crashing into the river volga two hundred fifty kilometers north east of moscow those that died included russia even took a chunk out and twenty sure due to your chair check stars just a verse of care and yan matic and cattle are also among the dead along with swedish goalie stefan leaf and so the back is puzzle me yesterday's game between the sound of a live in atlanta was abandoned midway through when the news came through fans and players stunned by what had happened i saw the stars in the cage shell and america's n.h.l. have been leading the tributes. now they say

they will appeal against the six going ban handed to their star striker velux and he was given a punishment after this tackle auntie's can fear he suffered need ligament damage and will be out for six months that means ak in fear will miss the rest of the mesquite season as well as his country here a twenty twelve qualifying campaign but if he says the task was not malicious and believes he's been harshly treated by the russian football union two years ago bell it was involved in a similar clash with the no nikita that any coverage of you suffered a broken no. now let's turn to the usa brain has affected play for a second day quarter final between serena williams and answers the public cenk of a failed to get started on defending champion run from a dallas trying by three games to set his schoolfriend match against luxembourg he

was one player was also stop the practice for sudan the mary he's up against the local surprise package donald young an american favorite andy roddick faces day fair and alomari believing it was wrong last place to play it all. of this year especially you know. we have to protect the players we were nothing but good for the two of them and you know. this is with a lot of money. we are part of the show. just working for. us they know that it's still raining and they call us on course so that's that's because. the course for forty five minutes but the rain really never stops so because there are four minutes with no effort we have to go out on the court. and they still put as i'm called for the further mr and the fans but you know.

i'm in this part of the show and we laugh about it but everyone's pretty relaxed about it now is just what we were corey was still running the package the core was on the polls or really worked and. everyone. mentioned that. to be on par and they were just. fine but it doesn't really make sense to just try to go there for like seven or eight minutes and i want to come back inside so that's kind of why everyone was a little bit disappointed and i don't think. the modern pentathlon world championships got underway in moscow today and among the athletes preparing for the tournament is alexander listen i hear me join the russian team three years ago it's a top off with more. russia has always been a powerhouse in the manse modern pentathlon three gold medals from the last three only because it's the best evidence of the team's dominance and because of the

depth of the nation still and the russians field several teams in their own right and it will be a tough challenge for the coaches to choose the two athletes that will compete at the london olympics in twenty twelve. it's courts.