BOSNIA - HIGH-PROFILE PRISONER DISAPPEARS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000946 SIPDIS EUR FOR JONES, EUR/SCE (HOH, SILBERSTEIN, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB),EUR/ACE (KEETON),EUR/INL (CARROLL, SIMIC); NSC FOR HELGERSON; OSD FOR BEIN; DOJ FOR OPDAT (ALEXANDRE) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2019 TAGS: PGOV PTER KCRM KJUS AEMR APCS BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - HIGH-PROFILE PRISONER DISAPPEARS REF: A. 07 SARAJEVO 2702 ¶B. 08 SARAJEVO 68 ¶C. 08 SARAJEVO 108 Classified By: Ambassador Charles English for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Bosnia is abuzz about the disappearance of Karray Kemal bin Ali who failed to return to a high security prison in Zenica after being granted leave to visit his family. Bin Ali (AKA Abu Hamza though not the "Abu Hamza" cited in our terrorism report) is a Tunisian national with possible links to terrorist groups who was stripped of Bosnian citizenship. He was serving a prison sentence of 3 years and 10 months for aggravated robbery, illegal weapons possession charge, and domestic violence. Zenica Prison Director Nihad Spahic was quoted in the press as saying that Bin Ali had been granted leave for good behavior and that he had been granted leave on four other occasions without any problems. The European Union Police Monitoring Mission (EUPM) reported that Bin Ali was granted a 25-day leave the week of June 29. ¶2. (C) It is unclear why Bin Ali was not denied leave privileges on the grounds that he posed a security threat (such that he lost his Bosnian citizenship) and in light of his long criminal record. In addition to the sentence he was serving, Bin Ali had previously served an eight-year prison sentence for a 1997 murder, and, according to official reports, is facing a thirteen-year sentence in his native Tunisia for other crimes. The circumstances behind the Federation Ministry of Interior's decision to send an urgent letter dated July 23 to the Federation Ministry of Justice warning of Bin Ali's plans to escape and the notification of the Zenica prison authorities several days later also remain unclear. Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) Bin Ali's escape from prison is a huge embarrassment for the Bosnian authorities, especially in light of the international attention it has received, such as from the BBC. The incident highlights the liberal sentences and favorable treatment serious offenders often receive in Bosnia. It also underscores problems Bosnian authorities are continuing to have in dealing with the security threat posed by Bin Ali and other former foreign fighters who remained in Bosnia. We will continue to explore ways to assist the Bosnian authorities in closing legal and procedural loopholes that allow dangerous criminals to leave prison before they have served their sentences. ENGLISH