DIPNOTE ON CONSULAR NOTIFICATION AND TIMELY

UNCLAS STATE 119685 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC PREL SY SUBJECT: DIPNOTE ON CONSULAR NOTIFICATION AND TIMELY ACCESS TO AMERICAN CITIZENS ¶1. Department instructs Post to deliver the following message as a diplomatic note. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT: (Insert complimentary opening language.) The Embassy of the United States wishes to remind the Government of Syria that under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Government of Syria has an obligation to notify the United States Embassy, which provides consular services to U.S. citizens in Syria, when a detained American citizen requests to speak with a U.S. consular officer. The Embassy requests the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic notify the U.S. Embassy in Damascus promptly when an American citizen has been arrested and calls on the Government of Syria to provide U.S. consular officers prompt access to detained American citizens, as required by Article 36. (Insert appropriate complimentary closing.) END TEXT. ¶3. Background: On October 8, following extensive media coverage of the disappearance of journalists Taylor Luck and Holli Chmela, Embassy Damascus and the Department learned that these two Americans had been in Syrian custody since October 1. Upon learning of their detention, Embassy Damascus immediately proceeded to arrange consular access. Shortly after their detention on October 1, the two requested to speak with Embassy Damascus as well as with their families. Under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Syrian government should have notified Embassy Damascus immediately. In an October 16 meeting with the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CDA Connelly expressed concerns with delayed notification and access to detained American citizens. ¶4. Point of contact: please contact NEA/ELA Allison Monz at monzam@state.gov and CA/OCS/ACS/NESCA Jo-Ann Hunter at hunterjl@state.gov when the diplomatic note has been delivered and for additional information. RICE