European Parliament approves report on CIA operated flights

The European Parliament voted (382-256, with 74 abstentions) to approve a report critical of some members "passivity of some Member States in the face of illegal CIA operations" (read the full press release).

The full 77-page report entitled "Report on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners" is available online from the procedure file for this vote (or via direct link).

So who is the European Parliament you ask? They are the 785 people elected by the 27 member states to represent them at the European Union. These members serve a five-year term and are seated and organized into 8 official parties. Each state has a minimum of five members, with a maximum of 99, the number for each state is determined by population. Germany has the most seats with 99, followed by Italy, France and the United Kingdom all tied at 78. Only Malta is small enough to get only 5 members.

Want to see the breakdown of the political parties and countries? Check out the list of members site, if you click on the countries or parties you will get a full list of their members. Want to know more about the various political groups? Check out this list with links to their websites.

Want to learn more about the European Parliament is organized? Check out this quick guide. There are also guides to their powers and political role.