Romania's secret CIA prison: Two decades of denial and unanswered questions
Romania's secret CIA prison: Two decades of denial and unanswered questions Submitted by Andrei Popoviciu on Thu, 09/10/2026 - 18:45 As the long-delayed 9/11 case moves towards trial, evidence of torture at a CIA black site in Bucharest is putting Romania's role in the 'war on terror' under scrutiny The Romanian agency Orniss, pictured here on 8 December 2011, sits on a leafy street in northern…
Two decades after its alleged existence, Romania's alleged CIA prison continues to raise questions about the country's role in the war on terror. The facility, known as Detention Site Black, allegedly held and tortured six to twelve men, including Ammar al-Baluchi, between 2003 and 2005. Baluchi, the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, described his detention as akin to living in a refrigerator, subjected to sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, and physical abuse.
Romanian officials, including past president Ion Iliescu, have denied involvement, but a US military judge has ruled that evidence of torture at the facility can be used in a 9/11 case trial, which is set to begin in June 2028. The Romanian government received an $8 million payment from the CIA for hosting the site, and the country's national security adviser at the time, Ioan Talpes, admitted to approving the leasing of a government building to the American intelligence agency.
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