MADRID, Dec. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Amnesty International's Spanish branch on Saturday called for an end to torture after handing in a 110,000-signature petition to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.

    The call came amid widespread claims by non-governmental organizations that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has been flying suspected Muslim extremist prisoners throughout the world for interrogation.

    The Spanish branch said it had evidence of about 800 covert flights crisscrossing Europe for the purpose.

    "Since Sept. 11, (2001) some 70,000 people have been detained by US forces," said Esteban Beltran, head of the branch.

    He added, "Bagram (the U.S. base in Afghanistan), Abu Ghraib (prison in Iraq), Guantanamo (U.S. military base in Cuba) are symbols of the violation of human rights committed by the world's most powerful democracy. "

    Beltran also said the U.S.-led war on terror was an "excuse" used by Washington "to redefine torture," but "torture is unjustifiable and intolerable in all cases. "

    "Torture is terror," said Beltran. Enditem