ALLEGATIONS THAT GOJ TORTURES, AND RUNS SECRET

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000448 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UN JO SUBJECT: ALLEGATIONS THAT GOJ TORTURES, AND RUNS SECRET PRISONS WITH U.S. REF: A. AMMAN 222 ¶B. AMMAN 4982 ¶C. AMMAN 9071 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR DAVID HALE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: UN RAPPORTEUR MANFRED NOWAK AGAIN PUBLICLY ACCUSED THE GOJ OF TORTURING. HIS REPORT MAY ALSO INCLUDE CHARGES THAT THE GOJ COLLABORATES WITH THE USG IN RUNNING SECRET PRISONS. MEANWHILE, A MAN ON TRIAL FOR PLOTTING TO SIPDIS KILL AMERICANS ACCUSED JORDAN,S INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OF TORTURING HIM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON TORTURE MANFRED NOWAK ACCUSED THE GOJ OF TORTURING AND ANNOUNCED JANUARY 30 IN GENEVA THAT HE WOULD PRESENT A REPORT ON HIS JUNE TRIP TO JORDAN TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (UNHRC) WHEN IT CONVENES MARCH 12. NOWAK'S STATEMENT ESSENTIALLY REPEATED CHARGES HE MADE PUBLICLY IN JUNE 2006 (REF B). GOJ CONTACTS SAY THEY RECEIVED A DRAFT OF THE 38-PAGE REPORT, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC. POST IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN A COPY. ¶3. (C) ON FEBRUARY 1, MFA LEGAL ADVISOR MAHMOUD HMOUD TOLD POLOFF THAT NOWAK'S DRAFT DESCRIBED TORTURE IN JORDAN AS "SYSTEMATIC." THE GOJ PROTESTED, HE SAID, AND NOWAK REVISED HIS LANGUAGE TO "WIDESPREAD, AND IN SOME PLACES, LIKE THE GENERAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE, ROUTINE." NOTE: IN AN AMMAN PRESS CONFERENCE IN JUNE, NOWAK SAID THE GOJ WAS "NOT SYSTEMATICALLY PRACTICING OR CONDONING TORTURE." END NOTE. ¶4. (U) AT A JANUARY 31 PRESS CONFERENCE MFA SPOKESWOMAN SABAH RAFIE SAID THE GOJ WOULD EXAMINE THE REPORT AND RESPOND. SHE EMPHASIZED THAT NOWAKS STATEMENTS WERE ABOUT ISOLATED CASES AND THAT HIS TRIP HAD BEEN AT THE INVITATION OF THE GOJ, IN ITSELF A SIGN OF TRANSPARENCY. NOWAK: "SECRET PRISONS" -------------- ¶5. (C) HMOUD ALSO TOLD POLOFF THAT THE DRAFT ALLEGES THE GOJ COLLABORATES WITH THE U.S. IN RUNNING UNSPECIFIED SECRET DETENTION FACILITIES. IF NOWAK'S FINAL VERSION OF THE REPORT RETAINS THIS CLAIM, HMOUD SAID THE GOJ WOULD PUBLICLY CHALLENGE NOWAK TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THESE FACILITIES. ALLEGED TERRORIST ACCUSES GID -------------- ¶6. (C) ACCORDING TO MEDIA REPORTS JANUARY 31, MOHAMMED AL-HOTARI, ON TRIAL IN AMMAN'S STATE SECURITY COURT FOR "CONSPIRACY TO CARRY OUT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES" AND "ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON" IN AN ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL AMERICANS IN JORDAN, CLAIMED HIS CONFESSIONS WERE EXTRACTED UNDER DURESS. HIS CO-DEFENDANT MOHAMMED SHEHADEH ALSO SAID HIS TESTIMONY WAS FALSE, BUT DID NOT CLAIM HE WAS TORTURED. BOTH MEN ASKED THE COURT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A FRESH WRITTEN STATEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE CHARGE SHEET AND COURT RECORDS, THE PAIR INTENDED TO "AVENGE US POLICIES TOWARDS MUSLIMS," HAD PURCHASED AN ASSAULT RIFLE AND AMMUNITION, AND HAD AN AMERICAN IN AMMAN UNDER SURVEILLANCE (REF A). VISIT AMMAN'S CLASSIFIED WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/NEA/AMMAN/ HALE