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Probe into reports of secret CIA prisons

BRUSSELS: The European Commission said on Thursday it will investigate reports that the CIA set up secret jails in eastern Europe to interrogate Al-Qaeda captives.

Separately, Europe's top human rights organisation, the Strasbourg, France-based Council of Europe, said it too would try to see whether the claims were true.

The Governments of the European Union's 25 members nations will be informally questioned about the allegations, E.U. spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing said in response to a question by a reporter at an E.U. briefing.

``We have to find out what is exactly happening. We have all heard about this, then we have to see if it is confirmed,'' he said.

U.S. officials have refused to confirm or deny a report by the Washington Post that the CIA has been hiding and interrogating top Al-Qaeda suspects in several eastern European countries.

According to the report, a covert prison system was set up by the CIA four years ago which at various times included sites in eight countries, including Afghanistan. — AP

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