MILAN, Italy, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- An Italian court Monday set Jan. 9 for the hearing into the alleged U.S. abduction of a Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003 for terror interrogation in Egypt.
Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr remains in an Egyptian prison, and claims he has been tortured after being snatched on the street by CIA agents aided by Italy's SISMI intelligence agency.
Prosecutors agree and have indicted 26 CIA agents and nine Italians, including former SISMI chief Nicolo Pollari, the ANSA news agency reported.
Investigators allege Nasr, a 44-year-old Egyptian refugee, was grabbed Feb. 17, 2003, pushed into a van and then flown to Germany before being sent to Egypt.
The U.S. government has acknowledged the practice it calls "extraordinary rendition" -- sending terror suspects to third countries -- but denies it is for the purpose of torture.
It was not immediately known of the United States would comply with the indictments.
