NEGATIVE RESPONSE FROM GOS TO DETAINEE REQUEST

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 000491 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CE; NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM LO PA SUBJECT: NEGATIVE RESPONSE FROM GOS TO DETAINEE REQUEST REF: STATE 106853 Classified By: Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Keith Eddins, for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Ambassador Obsitnik broached reftel request in a one-on-one meeting with Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on October 24. Kalinak noted that Slovakia had recently agreed to a U.S. request to grant asylum to 8 Cuban migrants, but responded that the case of the Palestinian detainee was "too hard." He suggested that, unlike in the case of the Cuban refugees, it would be too difficult for a Palestinian detainee to blend into Slovak society. ¶2. (C) Pol/Econ Chief had earlier conveyed reftel request to Acting Director of the MFA's Human Rights Office, Peter Kormuth, and to the Director of the Middle East and African Affairs Office, Klara Novotna. Both officials expressed skepticism that the GOS would be willing to accept the detainee and agreed that the Ministry of Interior could address the issue more authoritatively. Unfortunately, on this matter, Kalinak's word is indeed final. OBSITNIK