SWEDEN: EGYPTIAN DEPORTED IN CIA PLANE CASE MAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000221

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN: EGYPTIAN DEPORTED IN CIA PLANE CASE MAY
BE ABLE TO RETURN TO SWEDEN

Classified By: Polcouns Casey Christensen, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (u) The Swedish Government reached and published a
decision March 1 overturning their decision of December 18,
2001, expelling from Sweden Mohamed Alzery, one of the
Egyptians involved in the much-publicized "CIA Planes" case
in Sweden. According to the terms of the decision, Alzery
can now apply for residency and asylum status in Sweden; a
final decision on the application will be taken by the
Swedish Migration Board. In addition, the Justice Chancellor
is authorized to consider monetary damages to Alzery, the
amount of which the decision says "may exceed" the standard
scale of damages.


2. (u) The new decision takes notice of criticism of the
Alzery and Agiza expulsion voiced by the UN Committee for
Human Rights, as well as the internal evaluation by the
Swedish Security Police (SAPO) that mistakes were made in
handling the expulsion. The government concludes that Sweden
did not have sufficient guarantees that Alzery and Agiza
would not be tortured.


3. (u) Egyptian citizens Mohamed Alzery and Ahmed Agiza were
expelled from Sweden to Egypt in December 2001. Both were
incarcerated in Egypt on terrorism charges and have alleged
they were tortured. Alzery is out of prison but remains in
Egypt, reportedly under surveillance; Agiza remains behind
bars. The case has attracted considerable and continued
media attention in Sweden.


4. (c) While the decision does not guarantee that Alzery
will obtain residency and asylum in Sweden -- status he was
denied under the December 18, 2001, decision -- that appears
to be the intended outcome. As the decision specifically
authorizes consideration of damages more generous than
normal, that is also a likely result. The new decision is
intended to counter the effects of the criticism of the UN
Human Rights Committee and other international criticism,
while at the same time allowing the new Moderate-led
government to demonstrate it is correcting a "mistake" of the
Social Democratic government that authorized the expulsions.


5. (c) The Swedish case differs from other "CIA Planes"
cases in that the individuals involved were expelled under
the terms of a formal Swedish government decision. These
were not extraordinary renditions. Nonetheless, the story
has continued to percolate in the press, focusing on the
process before the expulsion (due or not; guarantees re
torture),the circumstances of the expulsion, ("CIA planes"
and "masked agents"),and torture in Egypt.
WOOD