A senior US intelligence officer was among 23 Americans convicted by an Italian court on Wednesday in the first judicial case to pass judgment on the controversial US policy of “rendition” – sending suspected terrorism suspects to third countries for interrogation.

The case had threatened to jeopardise the close relationship between Italy and the US. But the judgment, while largely symbolic because none of the Americans was present for the trial, was welcomed by human-rights campaigners who have long attacked the rendition policy as a violation of human rights.