Italy CIA "kidnap" trial adjourned until March 12

Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:54pm EDT

By Ilaria Polleschi

MILAN (Reuters) - An Italian judge adjourned until March 12 the trial of U.S. and Italian spies accused of kidnapping a terrorism suspect in Milan, giving a higher court more time to decide whether the case breaks state secrecy rules.

The trial is the first anywhere over the U.S. practice of "extraordinary rendition", whereby terrorism suspects are secretly transferred to third countries.

Twenty-six Americans -- nearly all believed to be CIA agents -- are being tried in absentia on charges of kidnapping Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr off a Milan street and flying him to Egypt, where Nasr says he was tortured under questioning.

Italian spies, including the former head of Italy's military intelligence agency, are also being tried for helping the CIA.

The trial, which has embarrassed Rome and Washington, hit a roadblock shortly after it began in June when the Italian government asked the country's highest court on constitutional matters to throw out the case.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government argued prosecutors broke state secrecy rules when building their case. A decision by the constitutional court is expected by early next year.

Prosecutors say a CIA-led team grabbed Nasr in Milan, drove him to a military base in northern Italy and flew him to Egypt.

Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, says he was tortured under interrogation with electric shocks, beatings, rape threats and genital abuse. He has spoken of possibly building on his fame as a rendition victim to launch a political career in Egypt.

The United States has said it will refuse any request by Italy to extradite the accused.