THIRD DIPNOTE RE DEATH OF PERUVIAN CONTRACTOR IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 005309 SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/AND, L/PM, PM, DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/OPO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MARR ASEC PE SUBJECT: THIRD DIPNOTE RE DEATH OF PERUVIAN CONTRACTOR IN AFGHANISTAN REF: A) LIMA 5286, B) LIMA 5231 ¶1. On 12/14, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry presented the Embassy with a third diplomatic note regarding the death in Afghanistan of Peruvian citizen Martin Jara. In this instance, the Foreign Ministry conveys the request of the 31st Lima Public Prosecutor's Office that Mr. Jara's body be returned to Lima intact, with its internal organs and blood, and accompanied by a copy of the autopsy report done in Afghanistan, in order to safeguard forensic evidence regarding Mr. Jara's demise. (NOTE: Embassy understands that per international airfreight standards, a body may not be shipped without at least "partial" embalming. END NOTE.) An informal translation of the diplomatic note is contained in paragraph 2. Embassy requests guidance from the Department on how to respond to this diplomatic note. ¶2. (Begin text of dipnote) NOTE RE (SCP) No. 6 - 3/468 (Complimentary opening) and wishes to refer to its Notes Nos. 6-3/458 and 6-3/464, dated December 5 and 9, 2005, regarding the death of Peruvian citizen MARTIN ALBERTO JARA HICHARD, who was working as a security guard in Afghanistan. In that regard, the 31st Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Lima, through its official communication No. 21-2005-31 FPPTP, dated December 9, 2005, requested the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad in order for "the corpse of Peruvian citizen Martin Alberto Jara Hichard, who died in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 2, 2005, to be transported to Peru, in its present state, i.e., preserving his internal organs, as well as his blood. Likewise, the findings of the autopsy performed on his body in that country should be sent along with the corpse. The Prosecutor's Office wishes to point out that the corpse is currently being kept at Bagharam Air Force Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the "Worldwide Assistance" Corporation has been the company responsible for moving the corpse, according to the e-mail that is being attached to this official communication." The Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad would like to state in a precise manner, that the referenced official communication is based on the Resolution issued on December 9, 2005 by the aforementioned Provincial Prosecutor's Office, that says verbatim: "Lima, December 9, 2005 THE FOLLOWING REPORT IS BEING ISSUED ON THIS DATE: After having received the sworn declaration of ELIA MERCEDES JARA HICHARD DE CASTRO, who informed the Prosecutor's Office that a representative of "Worldwide Assistance" Insurance Company, by the name of Ingrid Rodas, had approached her in order to ask her about her family's preferences regarding the way in which the corpse of her brother MARTIN ALBERTO JARA HICHARD, who died of unknown causes in the city of Kabul in Afghanistan on December 2, 2005, should be moved back to Peru. Likewise, this company representative offered her two possibilities for this transport: the body could be cremated or embalmed. Subsequently, according to the deponent, she consulted this offer with Dr. Bromley, Head of the Public Ministry's Coroner's Institute, who told her that neither option was advisable since any evidence that could be used to determine the cause of death of Martin Alberto Jara Hichard would be lost. He also advised her that in order to carry out further investigations, the corpse should be transported in its present state. Thus, the intervention of Ambassador Jorge Lazaro Geldres, Secretary of Peruvian Communities Abroad, has been requested, in order for him to take any necessary steps or measures so that the corpse is transported in its present state, and the findings of the autopsy performed on the corpse in Kabul, Afghanistan are sent along with the corpse; and WHEREAS: It is necessary to preserve any and all evidence leading to the clarification of the causes of the death of Martin Alberto Jara Hichard; THE FOLLOWING ACTION IS HEREBY DECREED: An official communications shall be sent to Ambassador Jorge Lazaro Geldres, so that in his position as Secretary of Peruvian Communities Abroad, he takes any steps which may be necessary in order to insure that the corpse of Martin Alberto Jara Hichard, is transported in its current state, and the findings of the autopsy performed on his body in Kabul, Afghanistan are sent along with his corpse." In that regard, and in view of the fact that according to the statement made by Mr. Michael Dodd of 3D Global Solutions, Inc., the Department of State and the Department of Defense of the United States of America are the institutions responsible for carrying out the investigation of the death of Mr. Martin Jara, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad requests that as soon as possible, the body of Mr. Martin Alberto Jara Hichard be transported back to Peru, in its present state, i.e., preserving his internal organs, as well as his blood, and sending along the findings of the autopsy performed on his body in Kabul; in this way, the evidence that might aid in the clarification of the causes of the death of the aforementioned Peruvian citizen will have been preserved. (Complimentary closing) Lima, December 14, 2005 (End text of dipnote) STRUBLE