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"
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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
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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