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Cablegate: Libyan Response On Arb-4 Review Proceedings

Published: Thu 3 Jul 2008 01:01 PM
VZCZCXRO9263
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0527 1851316
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 031316Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3631
INFO RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 4140
C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000527
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/MAG AND S/WCI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/3/2018
TAGS: PHUM PTER PREL PINR KDRG KBTR LY
SUBJECT: LIBYAN RESPONSE ON ARB-4 REVIEW PROCEEDINGS
REF: (A) STATE 61922, (B) TRIPOLI 497 CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, CDA, AmEmbassy Tripoli, State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) On July 1, MFA Americas Desk Officer Muhammad Ayab conveyed to P/E Chief a diplomatic note containing information the GOL wishes to convey to the Accountability Review Board (ARB) related to Omar Mahjoub (ISN 695) and Abu Faraj Libi (ISN 10017). Ayab said efforts were underway by unspecified elements of the GOL to contact relatives of the two men to advise them that the review proceedings were coming up and to solicit any written input the relatives might offer. 2. (SBU) The full text of the diplomatic note follows. (begin text) The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya The General People's Committee For Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation Note Verbale The General People's Committee Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (Americas Desk) sends its compliments to the U.S. Embassy in the Great Jamahiriya and further to the Embassy's dipnote #08/502 dated June 18, 2008 related to the ARB proceedings intending to review the cases of two Libyan nationals, Omar Khalifa Abu Bakr Al-Mahjoub and Abu Faraj Allibi, in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and wishes to inform the esteemed Embasy of the following. - The investigation, indictment, and court proceedings of these nationals will be carried out vigorously in accordance with Libyan criminal law. - If the individual is not indicted, cannot be indicted due to a lack of criminal evidence, or is acquitted, he will remain subject to the law. Any criminal act, even if not of a terrorist nature, will expose its perpetrator to the full force of criminal proceedings, as is the case for all Libyan citizens. We cannot tolerate such acts under the law. - Law enforcement officers in our security services, as well as judges and the general prosecutors' office in the judicial system, have the authority and qualifications to carry out their tasks in terms of monitoring, detecting, collecting evidence, investigating, and ensuring a fair trial, in addition to implementing sentences. - Legislation in our country related to prisons guarantees that a person serving a prison sentence has clear and straightforward rights. Prisoners are rehabilitated according to their capacities and qualifications. We have people [in prison] who are carrying on their studies in high school and university. - Regarding the [detainees'] relatives, there is no doubt that they wish to meet them [the detainees] and even to see them released. We think that they [the relatives] have nothing to offer the detainees except their moral support. The General People's Committee Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (Americas Desk) avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the esteemed U.S. Embassy the assurances of its highest considerations. (Seal) To: U.S. Embassy Tripoli July 1, 2008 (end text) STEVENS
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