( CNN ) -- Italy 's president has pardoned a U.S. Air Force colonel convicted in absentia for his role in the seizing of a suspected terrorist in Italy in 2003 . Nearly two dozen Americans , most thought to work for the CIA , were tried in 2009 . The trial was the first in the world to deal with a practice that human rights groups call `` extraordinary rendition . '' They say the United States has often transferred terrorism suspects to countries that practice torture . Washington has acknowledged making secret `` rendition '' transfers of terrorism suspects between countries but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do . `` ( Defense ) Secretary ( Chuck ) Hagel welcomes the news of ( Italian ) President ( Giorgio ) Napolitano 's decision to grant clemency to U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph Romano , and appreciates the Italian government 's careful consideration of this matter , '' Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement Saturday . The case centered on the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric , Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr , or Abu Omar . He was seized on the streets of Milan in 2003 , transferred to Egypt and tortured , he says . He was suspected of recruiting men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under heavy surveillance by Italy 's intelligence agency . Prosecutors said he was nabbed by a CIA team working with Italian intelligence officials . Napolitano pardoned Romano to `` find a solution to an affair considered by the United States to be unprecedented '' and to solve `` a situation of great delicacy , '' Italian news agency ANSA reported , citing the president 's office .
U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph Romano was convicted in absentia in 2009 . He was one of nearly two dozen tried for their role in seizing a suspected terrorist . ANSA : Italy 's president pardoned Romano to solve `` a situation of great delicacy ''