Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TASHKENT324
2008-03-14 11:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:
ICRC RESUMES PRISON VISITS IN UZBEKISTAN
how-toVZCZCXRO5046 PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG DE RUEHNT #0324 0741133 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 141133Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9388 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3824 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0038 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4440 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0304 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0271 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0318 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 4031 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2302 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0343 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0977 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1066 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2392 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS TASHKENT 000324
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD, R, DRL, SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL ICRC UZ
SUBJECT: ICRC RESUMES PRISON VISITS IN UZBEKISTAN
REF: A. TASHKENT 266
B. TASHKENT 253
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
UNCLAS TASHKENT 000324
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD, R, DRL, SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL ICRC UZ
SUBJECT: ICRC RESUMES PRISON VISITS IN UZBEKISTAN
REF: A. TASHKENT 266
B. TASHKENT 253
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4.
2. (U) On March 13 the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) publicly announced that it had resumed visits to
detainees in Uzbek prisons as part of a six-month trial
period of renewed engagement. In the statement (e-mailed to
the desk and also available at www.icrc.org),the Head of the
ICRC Regional Delegation in Central Asia Yves Giovannoni is
quoted as saying that the agreement "enables us to conduct
our visits in Uzbekistan, as elsewhere in the world, in
accordance with standard ICRC working procedures."
3. (SBU) Modalities had been a key sticking point in the
three years of negotiations since ICRC suspended visits in
response to restrictions placed by the Government of
Uzbekistan (reftels). The new agreement allows ICRC to visit
all places of detention throughout Uzbekistan, which has an
estimated inmate population of 48,000, and it will be able to
conduct private interviews with detainees.
4. (SBU) Action request: The resumption of ICRC prison
visits is a major positive development in the human rights
situation in Uzbekistan, which we have consistently promoted.
We strongly recommend the Department issue a statement
acknowledging this development. Proposed language is as
follows:
"The United States welcomes the announcement by the
International Committee of the Red Cross that prison visits
successfully resumed this week in Uzbekistan. Torture and
abuse of prisoners were cited as areas of serious concern in
the 2003 report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on
Torture, who conducted a fact-finding mission in 2002 upon
the invitation of the Government of Uzbekistan, as well as in
our 2007 Human Rights Report on Uzbekistan. ICRC visits can
be an effective measure to prevent abuse. We welcome this
voluntary step as well as the recent release of political
prisoners, and strongly encourage the Government of
Uzbekistan to take additional measures to address all of the
human rights concerns outlined in the Department of State's
2007 Human Rights Report."
HANSON
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD, R, DRL, SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL ICRC UZ
SUBJECT: ICRC RESUMES PRISON VISITS IN UZBEKISTAN
REF: A. TASHKENT 266
B. TASHKENT 253
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4.
2. (U) On March 13 the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) publicly announced that it had resumed visits to
detainees in Uzbek prisons as part of a six-month trial
period of renewed engagement. In the statement (e-mailed to
the desk and also available at www.icrc.org),the Head of the
ICRC Regional Delegation in Central Asia Yves Giovannoni is
quoted as saying that the agreement "enables us to conduct
our visits in Uzbekistan, as elsewhere in the world, in
accordance with standard ICRC working procedures."
3. (SBU) Modalities had been a key sticking point in the
three years of negotiations since ICRC suspended visits in
response to restrictions placed by the Government of
Uzbekistan (reftels). The new agreement allows ICRC to visit
all places of detention throughout Uzbekistan, which has an
estimated inmate population of 48,000, and it will be able to
conduct private interviews with detainees.
4. (SBU) Action request: The resumption of ICRC prison
visits is a major positive development in the human rights
situation in Uzbekistan, which we have consistently promoted.
We strongly recommend the Department issue a statement
acknowledging this development. Proposed language is as
follows:
"The United States welcomes the announcement by the
International Committee of the Red Cross that prison visits
successfully resumed this week in Uzbekistan. Torture and
abuse of prisoners were cited as areas of serious concern in
the 2003 report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on
Torture, who conducted a fact-finding mission in 2002 upon
the invitation of the Government of Uzbekistan, as well as in
our 2007 Human Rights Report on Uzbekistan. ICRC visits can
be an effective measure to prevent abuse. We welcome this
voluntary step as well as the recent release of political
prisoners, and strongly encourage the Government of
Uzbekistan to take additional measures to address all of the
human rights concerns outlined in the Department of State's
2007 Human Rights Report."
HANSON