A trial of 26 Americans, mostly CIA agents, and Italian intelligence officers accused of kidnapping a Milan-based Egyptian cleric has opened in the Italian city -- but was adjourned to June 18.
The judge postponed the proceedings while he considers a motion for suspending the trial until Italy's Constitutional Court rules on whether prosecutors violated state secrecy laws during their investigation.
The Americans, the former head of Italy's intelligence service General Nicolo Pollari and several other Italians face charges of abducting an Egyptian imam, Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, from Milan in 2003 and flying him to Egypt where he says he was imprisoned, interrogated and tortured.
The Americans are not in Italy and are being tried in absentia.
The Constitutional Court is expected to issue its rulings later this year.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.