State Department Cable re: Repatriated Russian Guantanamo Detainees Released by Russian Procuracy. The seven Russian detainees from the Guantanamo military base that were previously handed over by the United States to the Russian Government have been released from custody by an order of the Russian General Procuracy. While the circumstances surrounding their release remain under investigation, there is nothing the U.S. can do about the release. Once release, the detainees were returned to Russia. Upon arrival in Moscow, they were taken into custody by Russian law enforcement officials and charged with belonging to an organized criminal group, the illegal crossing of a state border, and "mercenary activity", but were subsequently released.
UNCLASSIFIED .
RELEASED IN PART I (0;
Bl, 1.4(B), 1.4(D)
UNCLASSIFIED
TELEGRAMB June 25, 2004
SECSTATE WASHDC - ROUTINE
To:.
Action:.
INL
From:.
'AMEMBASSY MOSCOW (MOSCOW 8741 - ROUTINE)
KCRM, PGOV, PREL, RS
TAGS:.
Captions: SENSITIVE
Subject: REPATRIATED RUSSIAN GUANTANAMO DETAINEES RELEASED BY
RUSSIAN PROCURACY
None
Ref:.
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. Not for Internet Distribution
1. SUMMARY: Late June 24, ITAR-TASS reported that the
seven Russian detainees from the Guantanamo military base
that were previously handed over by the United States to
the Russian Government have been released from custody by .
an order of . the General Procuracy. While the
circumstances surrounding their release remain under
g.nvestigation by the U.S. Embassy,'
/ End
summary.
2.
BIon February 28, 2004, the United States
returned to Russia seven Russian citizens being detained
at the U.S. Department of Defense's Base .at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. Upon arrival in Moscow, they were taken into
custody by Russian law enforcement officials and charged
with belonging to an organized criminal group, the illegal
crossing of a state border, and "mercenary activity."
3. Embassy Moscow learned on June 25 from an ITAR-TASS
report that these seven detainees -had been released. The
ITAR-TASS report stated that. it had confirmed their
umfeTgfkrEs1441ARtiVER46MVigte of the Prosecutor-General's
.CLASSIFIED BY DEPT. OF STATE, L. R. LOI-IMAN,DAS,A/RPS
REVIEW AUTHORITY: CHARLES L DARIS CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.40104
1. CLASSIFIED
DOS-001111
DECLASSIFY AFTER: 24 JUN 2014
DATE/CASE ID: 23 DEC 2004 200303827
UNCLASSIFIED
Office in the North Caucasus, Nikolay Khazikov, who
conducted the investigation into their case. The
Prosecutor-General's Office was quoted as saying that the
seven detainees' "rights were not violated and that the
decision was taken in accordance with the Russian
Federation Code of Criminal Procedure." Kommersant Daily
reported that the detainees were released on June 22,.*
2004, six days before the court-ordered period of pretrial
detention was due to expire. Kommersant stated that the
detainees' family members and lawyers had received no
warning that they were to be released, and that upon their
release, the detainees received an order of the Procuracy
stating that the measure of restraint (i.e., detention)
had been lifted. Kommersant observed that, absent proof
that the detainees had offered armed resistance in
Afghanistan or traveled there as part of an organized
group, the maximum penalty they faced was two years in
prison.
4. Embassy Moscow has sought to confirm that the
detainees were released and to obtain additional
information about the circumstances.BIBB1
UNCLASSIFIED0DOS001112
-
UNCLASSIFIED
7. The U.S. Embassy Law Enforcement Section (LES) has
sought additional information from the InternationalB
•
Department of the Procurator General's Office. At the
International.Department's insistence, LES has transmitted
a written request to the International Department this
morning seeking confirmation and clarification of the .
following questions: (1) have the detainees been released;
. (2) when were they releaSed; (3) was their release ordered
by the court or by the General Procuracy;(4) if it was
ordered by the court, by which court and judge; (5) were
the detainees released on bail or were 'their cases.
terminated; (6) if released on bail, what are the
conditions of their release; (7) if the cases against the
detainees are still proceeding, when will the trial(s)
take place; (8) have any of the charges against the
detainees been modified or dropped; and (9) what are all
of the other circumstances and details surrounding their
release. The International Department has not yet
responded.
VERSHBOW
Additional Addressees:
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
cc:
MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
Distribution:
TED7794
ACTION INL-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00B
DODE-00 DS-00 :EAP-
CIAE-00 CPR-00B
'00
EUR-00BH-00B
OIGO-00 UTED-00 VC-00BTEDE-00 INR-
00
UNCLASSIFIED0DOS-001113