This State Department cable states that a letter was received from Stephen Toope, Chairman of the United Nations' Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The letter concerns a report by the Working Group Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances regarding alleged secret detention centers under United States' authority in various parts of the world and invites the U.S. government to submit written response to the accusations/claims of the existence of such facilities.
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Yvette M Wong 09/03/2004 01:24:30 PM From DB/lnbox: Search Results
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O5913996 020830Z /38
P 020732Z SEP 04
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2149
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
UNCLAS GENEVA 002441
STATE FOR IO/SHA, DRL/MLA, L/HRR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM, UNHRC-1
SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION FROM THE WORKING GROUP ON ENFORCED
DISAPPEARANCES
1.
Mission received the following letter dated August 25,
2004 from the Chairman of the Working Group on Enforced or
Involuntary Disappearances, Stephen J. Toope, addressed to
Ambassador Moley. The letter concerns reports the Working
Group has received regarding alleged secret detention centers
under United States' authority in various parts of the world
and invites the USG to submit written information by October
15 and/or send a representative to appear in person at the
next working Group session November 8-15, 2004. •
2.
Text of letter and annex follows:
Begin text.
25 August 2004
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
I should like to communicate to you, on behalf of the
Chairman of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances, the following letter addressed to you:
"Dear Mr. Ambassador,
I have the honour to write to you on behalf of the Working
Group on Enforced Or Involuntary Disappearances, which held
itc seventy-third session from 16 to 20 August 2004, at the
United Nations Office in Geneva.
In the course of the session, the Working Group decided to
inform your Government of reports it had received about
developments in your country having an influence on the
phenomenon of disappearances or the solution of the cases not
yet clarified, and/or on the implementation of the
Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearances. A summary is provided as an Annex to this
letter.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind your
Government that the working Group will hold its
seventy-fourth session from 8 to 15 November 2004, at the
Untied Nations Office in Geneva. It would therefore be very
much appreciated if any written information that your
Government wishes to submit for the Working Group's
consideration, could be received, if possible, by 15 October
2004.
UNCLASSIFIED UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: FRANK E SCHMELZER UDOS-000526
UNCLASSIFIED
DATE/CASE ID: 10 DEC 2004 200303827
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In conformity with its usual practice, the Working Group is
prepared to receive representatives of interested Governments
during the first three days of its session. Should your
Government wish to be represented at the forthcoming session,
I would appreciated your contacting the Group's secretariat
at the Untied Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights in Geneva (tel. 022-917-9176), in order to
schedule an appointment with the Group.
I remain
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
Yours sincerely
Stephen J. Toope
Chairman
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances"
I remain,
Dear Mr. Ambassador, '
Yours sincerely,
/Mil/Mu/WNW
Tanya Smith
Secretary a.i.
working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
ANNEX
WORKING GROUP ON ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES
General allegations
United States of America
The Working Group received information from non-governmental
organizations concerning the reported non-compliance by the
Government of the United States of America with provisions of
the Declaration on the Protection of All persons from
Enforced Disappearance.
Reports were received by the working Group regarding secret
detention centers under United States' authority in various
parts of the world, in which an unknown number of persons are
detained. Reports assert that there was inadequate provision
of notice to families about the capture of detainees and
their conditions, legal status and rights. It is also
reported that it is unclear in many circumstances which U.S.
agendy is ultimately responsible for the arrest or the
conditions of confinement of the detainees in these
facilities.
Reports further specify that the most sensitive and
high-profile detainees are not being held in Guantanamo
because it is believed that detainees there will eventually
be monitored by the U.S. courts. It is stated that terrorism
suspects are detained by the Untied States in "undisclosed
locations," presumably outside the United States, with no
access to the ICRC, no notification to families, no oversight
of.any sort of their treatment, and in most cases no
acknowledgment that they are even being held. Information
was provided on 13 specific alleged detainees, apprehended in
places such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, morocco, and
the United Arab Emirates, who have reportedly disappeared in
U.S. custody.
American authorities have also apparently refused to
disclose the names of men secretly detained during the past
few years within the United States. Families have not been
informed on the arrested persons' locations. Reports state
that some of these detainees have now been released or
deported.
End text.
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3. Mission transmitted a copy of the letter by fax to
IO/SHA, Attention Director.
Cassel
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End Cable Text
Yvette M Wong 09/03/2004 01:24:30 PM From 013fInbox: Search Results
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