Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME147
2008-02-01 16:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
SYRIA: ITALY SUPPORTS EU DEMARCH ON SEIF'S ARREST
how-toVZCZCXRO7465 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHRO #0147 0321609 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 011609Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9788 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000147
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2028
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL SY IT
SUBJECT: SYRIA: ITALY SUPPORTS EU DEMARCH ON SEIF'S ARREST
REF: A. SECSTATE 171106
¶B. DAMASCUS 00066
¶C. ROME 0078
Classified By: Acting Political Minister Counselor Jonathan Cohen for r
easons 1.4 b and d
(C) Poloff shared the Department's January 29 condemnation
of the arrest of Syrian human rights activist Riad Seif with
MFA Lebanon/Syria Desk Officer Michele Tommasi and asked
Tommasi if the Italian government would be making any
statements. Tommasi said the GOI shared our concerns and
that, as per Ref C, Italy preferred to coordinate all human
rights activities/statements through the EU for maximum
effect. He said the EU was working on a demarche to express
its concerns over Seif's arrest and that Italy was supporting
the initiative fully.
BORG