UPDATE ON LIBYAN-SWISS CRISIS: SWISS CITIZENS BACK IN \

2009-09-24 16:23:00 09TRIPOLI763 Embassy Tripoli SECRET//NOFORN 09BERN387|09TRIPOLI714 VZCZCXRO3629\ OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL\ DE RUEHTRO #0763/01 2671623\ ZNY SSSSS ZZH\ O P 241623Z SEP 09\ FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5292\ INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE\ RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC\ RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5837 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000763 \ \ NOFORN \ SIPDIS \ \ DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND EUR \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/24/2019 \ TAGS: PREL PHUM CASC LY SZ SUBJECT: UPDATE ON LIBYAN-SWISS CRISIS: SWISS CITIZENS BACK IN \ LIBYAN CUSTODY \ \ REF: A) Tripoli 714; B) Bern 387 \ \ TRIPOLI 00000763 001.2 OF 002 \ \ \ CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Tripoli, \ Department of State. \ REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) \ ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: Swiss Charge Stefano Lazarotto confirmed \ that the two Swiss citizens - held in Libya for more than a year \ - had been detained by GOL authorities on September 19 when they \ reported for medical tests, ostensibly in preparation for their \ departure. Lazarotto welcomed U.S. intervention in this case, \ but was entirely unaware of Bern's request for U.S. assistance. \ Despite daily calls to contacts in the MFA and Prime Minister's \ Office, the Swiss Embassy has received no direct assurances on \ the health or safety of the citizens. Others in the local \ diplomatic community have blamed the Swiss for continuing to \ mishandle the case, including recent vetoes of Schengen visas \ for key Libyan officials. End Summary. \ \ ¶2. (S/NF) During a September 22 meeting with P/E Chief, Swiss \ Charge Stefano Lazarotto expressed surprise that Post was privy \ to information regarding the detention September 19 of two Swiss \ citizens who have not been allowed to leave Libya since July \ 2008 (ref A). Lazarotto claimed to be under strict instructions \ from Bern not to discuss the case with other members of the \ diplomatic community and was unaware of the request made in Bern \ by the Swiss Deputy Foreign Minister for U.S. intervention in \ the matter (ref B). \ \ ¶3. (S/NF) Lazarotto confirmed that the two Swiss businessmen had \ been called by Libyan authorities to report for medical exams in \ preparation for their release from the country. However, once \ they presented themselves to the GOL, they were taken into \ custody unexpectedly and have not been seen since. Lazarotto \ said that in spite of daily calls to his contacts in the \ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister's Office, he has \ not been allowed to visit the Swiss citizens. Nor has he \ received any positive assurances that the citizens are healthy \ and safe. He said that he is updating Bern daily with situation \ reports but that nothing had changed since September 19. \ Lazarotto has been trying without success to call Prime Minister \ al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi directly to plead the Swiss case but has \ only been able to reach lower level officials in Mahmoudi's \ office. \ \ ¶4. (S/NF) Lazarotto noted that the surprise detention of the \ Swiss citizens stood in marked contrast to recent positive \ signals, including the dispatch of a team of Libyan officials to \ Switzerland to negotiate the way forward (ref B) and an \ agreement to prioritize the release of the Swiss businessmen. \ While many reasons had been posited for the unexpected detention \ of the businessmen, Lazarotto thought the rumor that Libya \ feared Swiss military intervention was laughable. He said that \ the rumor he had heard was that the GOL was concerned that the \ Swiss businessmen would try to flee the country without \ permission. However, even that scenario was impossible, \ according to Lazarotto, given that his embassy was under 24-hour \ surveillance by GOL authorities and that the Libyans would not \ allow them to leave without exit stamps in their passports, \ which are still being held by the GOL. \ \ ¶5. (C/NF) The Swiss Charge welcomed U.S. assistance in urging \ the Libyans to release the Swiss businessmen. Lazarotto feared \ his position was precarious and expressed appreciation for \ continued U.S. interest in the case. He said that the optic of \ U.S. interest made him feel safe. Lazarotto reported that he \ was also in contact with the Italian, German, and French \ Embassies in Tripoli. \ \ ¶6. (C/NF) While the Swiss Charge is reaching out across the \ local diplomatic community for moral support, representatives of \ some embassies in Tripoli blame the Swiss for continuing to \ mishandle the case. On September 22, the Ambassador of Portugal \ (strictly protect) told the Ambassador that the Swiss were \ continuing to provoke the Libyans. Most recently, the Swiss had \ reportedly exercised their veto power within the Schengen visa \ regime to deny Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi a Schengen visa \ to land in Portugal for a matter of hours en route to New York \ for the UN General Assembly. The Embassy of Portugal intervened \ to avoid a public scandal by issuing a national visa to Qadhafi \ for his transit stay. As a second example of what he called a \ "continuing pattern of ineptitude" on the part of the Swiss, the \ Portuguese Ambassador said that the Swiss had also exercised \ their veto right to deny the son of Libyan Prime Minister \ al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi - the Libyan official charged with \ managing the Swiss case - a Schengen visa for a trip. Once \ again, the Portuguese intervened to issue a national visa to \ allow Mahmoudi's son to enter the country. The Portugese \ expected the PM to be furious if he discovered the Swiss action \ regarding his son. \ \ ¶7. (C/NF) Comment: Discussions with the Swiss Charge revealed a \ \ TRIPOLI 00000763 002.2 OF 002 \ \ \ disconnect between Bern and its embassy in Tripoli. While the \ Swiss Government seems to be building alliances at the Deputy \ Foreign Minister level to advocate on its behalf, it is \ rendering the Swiss Embassy weak and vulnerable by keeping the \ Charge uninformed. Likewise, the continued Swiss mishandling of \ visa issues, especially when they involve influential regime \ figures, will make it that much more difficult for the Swiss to \ achieve a swift and positive resolution. End Comment. \ CRETZ \