Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar. - Reuters

MILAN (Reuters):

A Milan judge yesterday ordered 26 Americans, most of them believed to be CIA agents, to stand trial with Italian spies for kidnapping a Muslim cleric and flying him to Egypt, where he says he was tortured.

Among those indicted for the 2003 abduction are the former heads of the United States Central Intelligence Agency in Rome and Milan, and the former head of Italy's SISMI military intelligence agency, Nicolo Pollari, defence lawyers said.

The trial, set to begin on June 8, will be the first criminal case over 'renditions' - one of the most controversial aspects of U.S. President George W. Bush's war on terrorism.

Prosecutors say a CIA-led team, with SISMI's help, grabbed terrorism suspect Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, off a Milan street in February 2003, bundled him into a van and drove him to a military base in northern Italy.

From there, prosecutors allege the CIA flew him via Germany to Egypt where he says he was tortured with electric shocks, beatings, rape threats and genital abuse.

Nasr was released from prison on Sunday and says he would like to return to Italy, where an Italian judge has issued a warrant for his arrest over suspicion of terrorist activity.

"I have been reduced to a wreck of a human being," he told ANSA news agency after his release. In another interview this week he said he could hardly walk: "They burst my kidneys."

Washington acknowledges secret transfers of terrorism suspects to third countries but denies using or sanctioning torture, and is not expected to hand over its agents for trial.

Declined comment

The State Department declined comment on the matter, referring questions to the Justice Department, which would represent the U.S. government to the extent it becomes involved in the case. The Justice Department had no comment.

"Our official, public view is that this is an internal, Italian judicial matter," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.