C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001024

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014
TAGS: PHUM PREL PTER IR FI IQ
SUBJECT: FINLAND: NO INTEREST IN CAMP ASHRAF MEK DETAINEES

REF: A. A. STATE 89677

B. B. BAGHDAD 386/CPA/1047

C. C. STATE 107318

Classified By: ACTING POL CHIEF DAVID A. SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4 (A) a
nd (D)

(C) Leena Riitola, Acting Director of the Finnish MFA's
Department for Africa and the Middle-East, told Poloff on
August 3 that the GoF had finished its review of information
concerning Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) detainees at Camp Ashraf
who claim ties to Finland and determined that none of the
detainees has a valid claim to residency, temporary or
otherwise, in Finland. She said that the detainees would
likely be denied entry to Finland even if they were applying
for a tourist visa with valid passports. Riitola further
said that the expired travel documents the detainees had
provided to the CPA in support of their claim(s) to Finnish
residency were over ten years old and did not transfer
residency rights even when in effect. Other Embassy sections
also conferred with Finland's security community about the
issue and received the same response; there is no interest
in interviewing the detainees or admitting them for any
reason into Finland.

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