Amnesty International urges Portugal to deny U.S. use of Lajes Air Base

Amnesty International is calling on the Portuguese government to refuse the use of the Lajes Air Base in the Azores for operations that could constitute “war crimes.” The organization’s executive director in Portugal, João Godinho Martins, urged authorities to communicate this refusal to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of his official visit to Lisbon.

Martins stated that Portugal should not support U.S. military operations in Iran through the use of the base or national airspace, arguing that allowing such use without ensuring no war crimes are committed violates international commitments.

This demand follows an investigation opened by the Public Ministry to determine the legality of U.S. use of the base. The inquiry was prompted by a complaint from the Bloco de Esquerda party, which alleged that the base's utilization represents a “gross violation of international law.”