CIVILIAN COURT TRIAL FOR GENERAL CAMPS - 1986/04/16

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06627155
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: April 16, 1986

Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C06627155
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CINCSO AND CINCLANT ALSO FOR INTAFF
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TAGS: MARR, PGOV, SHUM, AR
SUBJ: CIVILIAN COURT TRIAL FOR GENERAL CAMPS
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CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR
RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT DATE: 09-14-2018
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1. (U) THE FEDERAL APPEALS COURT OF THE FEDERAL
CAPITAL DISTRICT DECIDED EARLIER THIS MONTH TO TAKE THE
CASES OF RETIRED GENERAL RAMON ALBERTO CAMPS AND
FUGITIVE GENERAL (RE) CARLOS GUILLERMO SUAREZ MASON AWAY
FROM THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE ARMED FORCES. USING
THE SAME AUTHORITY INVOKED LAST YEAR IN THE CASES OF THE
NINE JUNTA MEMBERS, THE APPEALS COURT DECIDED NOT TO
GRANT ADDITIONAL TIME TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL TO CONSIDER
THE CASES. THE COURT'S DECISION ON THE CAMPS CASE NOTED
THAT THE STATUTORY SIX MONTHS ORIGINALLY GRANTED THE
COUNCIL HAD LONG SINCE ELAPSED. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR
JULIO STRASSERA, WHO PROSECUTED THE JUNTA NINE,
REPORTEDLY ARGUED THAT EVEN WITH ADDITIONAL TIME, "IT
WOULD BE BARELY POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE ANY DECISION IN A
RELATIVELY SHORT TIME."
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2. (C) COMMENT: SUAREZ MASON WILL MOST LIKELY REMAIN A
FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE, BUT THE WAY IS NOW OPEN FOR
CAMPS TO BE TRIED IN THE SAME FASHION--WITH AT LEAST
SOME ORAL TESTIMONY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC--AS THE MEMBERS
OF THE JUNTAS WERE. CAMPS, WHO IS IN MILITARY DETEN-
TION, WILL BE JUDGED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES COMMITTED
IN BUENOS AIRES WHILE HE WAS PROVINCIAL POLICE CHIEF.
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3. (C) THE CIVILIAN COURT'S ACTION WAS NOT
UNEXPECTED AND BY ITSELF DOES NOT AFFECT THE GOA'S
GOAL OF PUTTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS TRIALS ISSUE
BEHIND IT BY THE END OF 1986 OR EARLY 1987. MANY
HERE ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT CIVILIAN TRIALS OF CAMPS
AND A FEW OTHER NOTORIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
WERE INEVITABLE, ACCEPTABLE TO THE GOA, TOLERATED
BY THE MILITARY. IT IS UNCERTAIN, OF COURSE,
WHAT PASSIONS TESTIMONY IN THE TRIAL MAY FAN,
BUT THE ARGENTINE MILITARY ARE UNLIKELY TO REGARD
CAMPS' FATE AS CRITICAL TO THEIR OWN. MUCH MORE
WORRISOME TO THE ARMED FORCES WILL BE THE CASE
OF NAVY LIEUTENANT ALFREDO ASTIZ, WHOSE DOSSIER
IS APPARENTLY RE-OPENED IN THE SUPREME COUNCIL.
SOME REPORTS SAY A SUPREME COUNCIL DECISION IS NEAR.
TO MANY IN THE MILITARY, ASTIZ'S CASE CONTINUES TO BE
THE LITMUS TEST OF GOA'S ATTITUDES TOWARD MID- OR
LOWER-LEVEL OFFICERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR
ON SUBVERSION. ORTIZ##
CONT I D;EUBFkLI.T'4,'1
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