Sabrina De Sousa
Encyclopedia
Sabrina De Sousa is a convicted kidnapper and a former American
diplomat, who made international news in 2009 for suing the State Department in order to secure diplomatic immunity
for her role in kidnapping
in an Italian
court case. She is being represented in the case by national security
lawyer Mark Zaid
.
", which involves "kidnapping charges in Italy for the seizure of a suspected terrorist." Abu Omar
, a Muslim cleric, was abducted on February 17, 2003, in Milan by the CIA. and transported to the Aviano Air Base
, from which he was transferred to Egypt, where he was interrogated (and allegedly torture
d). (Abu Omar is also known as Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr
and Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr.) The CIA operation interrupted surveillance by Italian authorities into Nasr's participation in certain Islamic
organizations. The Italian government originally denied having played any role in the abduction, but Italian prosecutors Armando Spataro and Ferdinand Enrico Pomarici indicted two dozen American and Italian government employees and agents.
Italian authorities issued an arrest warrant
in 2006 for De Sousa. They named her publicly in July 2008. She is not alleged to have kidnapped Omar herself, but is said to have "helped make false documents to mislead investigators." She claims an alibi that she was "vacationing at a ski resort nearly 130 miles away in Madonna di Campiglio
, Italy."
De Sousa is alleged, by the Italian Government, to be an intelligence
officer. They claim that she is part of a "CIA network", serving under diplomatic cover. She claims to be a diplomat. She was registered with the United States Embassy in Rome
as "second secretary" but posted in Milan
. She was a State Department employee, until she resigned in February 2009.
She was convicted of kidnapping for her role in the Imam rapito affair on November 4, 2009 by an Italian court, after a trial in absentia and a plea of not guilty.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat, who made international news in 2009 for suing the State Department in order to secure diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
for her role in kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
in an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
court case. She is being represented in the case by national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
lawyer Mark Zaid
Mark Zaid
Mark S. Zaid is a Washington DC attorney, with a practice focus on national security law, free speech constitutional claims and government accountability. He was named as a 2009 DC Superlawyer for his work on behalf of national security whistleblowers. He founded the James Madison Project in 1998,...
.
De Sousa's role in the Imam Rapito affair
The underlying case is called the "Imam rapito affairImam Rapito affair
The Abu Omar Case refers to the abduction and transfer to Egypt of the Imam of Milan Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar...
", which involves "kidnapping charges in Italy for the seizure of a suspected terrorist." Abu Omar
Abu Omar
Abu Omar may refer to:*Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi , also known as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Iraqi insurgent*Abu Omar al-Kurdi, real name Sami Muhammad Ali Said al-Jaaf, bomb maker who worked in Iraq...
, a Muslim cleric, was abducted on February 17, 2003, in Milan by the CIA. and transported to the Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, from which he was transferred to Egypt, where he was interrogated (and allegedly torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d). (Abu Omar is also known as Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr
Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr
Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr , also known as Abu Omar, is an Egyptian cleric. In 2003 he was living in Milan, Italy, from where he was kidnapped and allegedly later tortured in Egypt. This "Imam rapito affair" prompted a series of investigations in Italy, culminating in the criminal convictions of...
and Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr.) The CIA operation interrupted surveillance by Italian authorities into Nasr's participation in certain Islamic
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
organizations. The Italian government originally denied having played any role in the abduction, but Italian prosecutors Armando Spataro and Ferdinand Enrico Pomarici indicted two dozen American and Italian government employees and agents.
Italian authorities issued an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
in 2006 for De Sousa. They named her publicly in July 2008. She is not alleged to have kidnapped Omar herself, but is said to have "helped make false documents to mislead investigators." She claims an alibi that she was "vacationing at a ski resort nearly 130 miles away in Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m...
, Italy."
De Sousa is alleged, by the Italian Government, to be an intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
officer. They claim that she is part of a "CIA network", serving under diplomatic cover. She claims to be a diplomat. She was registered with the United States Embassy in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
as "second secretary" but posted in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. She was a State Department employee, until she resigned in February 2009.
She was convicted of kidnapping for her role in the Imam rapito affair on November 4, 2009 by an Italian court, after a trial in absentia and a plea of not guilty.
De Sousa's lawsuit
De Sousa sued for a declaration that she is a diplomat with immunity from prosecution:See also
- Jeffrey W. CastelliJeffrey W. CastelliJeffrey W. Castelli is a noted member of the U.S. intelligence community. He was the CIA station chief in Rome at the time the Niger uranium forgeries were received by U.S...
- Robert Seldon LadyRobert Seldon LadyRobert Seldon Lady is a convicted kidnapper and a noted member of the U.S...
- Nicolò PollariNicolò PollariNicolò Pollari is a general of the Italian Guardia di Finanza, who was the former head of Italy's national military intelligence agency, or SISMI, until his resignation on 20 November 2006.He was born in Caltanissetta, Sicily....
- Marco ManciniMarco ManciniMarco Mancini was the second-highest ranking officer of Sismi, the military intelligence agency of Italy until his 5 July 2006 arrest for his participation in the kidnapping of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr...