DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON SYRIAN REFOULEMENT OF UNHCR

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 003123 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU, DUBAI FOR BURNS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL SY IR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON SYRIAN REFOULEMENT OF UNHCR REFUGEE REF: A) DAMASCUS 2634 B) DAMASCUS 2391 C) SECSTATE 099464 D) E-MAIL DENNIS-SONTY Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b)/(d ) ¶1. (U) The CDA delivered a demarche to the MFA Chief of Protocol on June 26 per instructions in ref C & D. The CDA expressed USG concerns about the refoulement to Iran of the UNHCR-recognized refugee Saeed Saki, an Ahwazi Iranian activist, in direct contravention of Syria's commitments under Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture. The CDA also expressed concern about the three UNHCR-recognized refugees and the Dutch national (all of Ahwazi Iranian origin) remaining in SARG detention, noting that releasing them and allowing them to resettle would be an opportunity to show the SARG's commitment to its international obligations. ¶2. (U) After posing a number of questions to clarify to the USG's concern, MFA Chief of Protocol told CDA that he would look into the matter and provide a response at a later date. ¶3. (C) We have heard from EU diplomats who have also demarched the SARG on Saki's refoulement and the other four detainees that a top visiting Iranian intelligence official provided the SARG a list of wanted Ahwazi terrorists. The SARG told the EU diplomats that it therefore had to investigate the background of detainees to determine whether they should be sent back to Iran. SECHE