The European Parliament has started its own investigation into reports of CIA secret prisons in Eastern Europe.
The lawmakers agreed Thursday in Brussels to set up a 46-member committee to look into the matter. Several EU countries have set up their own probes.
The committee will recommend what political action should be taken against any country deemed to be involved.
Reports saying the CIA has secret detention centers in Europe first appeared in November in the Washington Post newspaper. Human rights groups subsequently singled out Poland and Romania as possible sites for such facilities. Both countries denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin has denied there are secret CIA prisons in his country.
His comment comes after a Swiss newspaper said local security officials had intercepted an Egyptian government document mentioning CIA prisons in several eastern European countries including Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.
