A court in Germany has ordered the arrest of 13 people suspected of being involved in the abduction of a German national who says he was kidnapped and tortured by the CIA, state prosecutors said yesterday.

Prosecutors in Munich said, based on their findings, "the particulars of the suspects listed in the arrest warrants suggest these could be cover identities of CIA agents".

They said a district court in Munich had issued warrants for the arrest of the 13 on suspicion of abducting, falsely imprisoning and causing grievous bodily harm to Khaled el-Masri, a German of Lebanese descent.

Prosecutors did not give the nationalities of the suspects, although according to German media reports, most of them are resident in the US.

Mr Masri was arrested in Macedonia at the end of 2003 and says he was handed over to the CIA, who flew him to Afghanistan and wrongly held him until his release in late May 2004.

Mr Masri's lawyer, Manfred Gnjidic, said the issuing of the arrest warrants was the first sign that German authorities were now prepared to back his client against the CIA.

"These are massive crimes that have been committed against Khaled el-Masri," he said.

"German authorities are following up these crimes against a German subject and are looking to call those responsible to account."

Mr Masri's case has focused media scrutiny in Europe about secret transfers of terrorism suspects by US intelligence agencies, known as renditions. These have caused tensions both within Germany and between Berlin and Washington. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been under pressure to explain his role in the detention of a German-born Turk in Guantanamo Bay prison camp while he served as chief of staff to former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The man, Murat Kurnaz, was released last summer without charge after being held nearly five years. Mr Steinmeier has been accused of trying to hinder his release.