INR WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTS IN HUMAN RIGHTS NO 42, FEBRUARY 2, 1978 [SANITIZED] - 1978/02/02
Document Type:
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Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
00724517
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
U
Document Page Count:
9
Document Creation Date:
April 3, 2019
Document Release Date:
April 12, 2019
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Case Number:
Publication Date:
February 2, 1978
File:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 INR WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS OF [15503042].pdf [9] | 299.3 KB |
Body:
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INR WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
OF DEVELOPMENTS IN HUMAN RIGHTS
No. 42, February 2, 1978
3.5(c)
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LATIN AMERICA
Argentina
Recent Rights Developments. The foreign diplomatic
community in Buenos Aires is expressing growing concern over
the local human rights situation. Ambassador Castro's
.soundings have revealed agreement among diplomats from the
EC countries and Sweden that conditions warrant some sort of
multilateral approach. to the Videla government. EC repre-
sentatives are drafting a statement on the situation pursuant
.to directions from the EC Political Commission, but it
probably will not be completed for weeks. The German,
Danish, and Swedish ambassadors strongly favor a joint
demarche, the French seem less enthusiastic, and the Nether-
lands ambassador expressed reluctance on trade grounds.
On January 25, Argentine Ambassador Aja Espil, fresh
from a trip to Buenos Aires, told Department officers that
President Videla's disgust over the December disappearances
of the 13 persons associated with the "Mothers of the Plaza
de Mayo" prompted Videla's December 23 announcement that a
complete list of state-of-siege detainees would be published.
Aja Espil also expressed hope that the recent appointment of
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a new police chief for Buenos Aires Province would help curb
the vigilante activity of security personnel.
Judge John Carro of the New York State Supreme Court
visited Buenos Aires in late January as part of a delegation
from the International Federation for the Rights of Man.
Interior Minister Harguindeguy told Carro that:
--the right of option program (enabling state-of-
siege prisoners to petition for exile) began func-
tioning on December 20, 1977; 115 petitions had been
filed, 10 were considered and approved in December,
and 43 more cases would be decided on February 15;
--there were 3,472 state-of-siege detainees as of
January 20; 1,889 were arrested before the military
government assumed power; 1,700 have charges pend-
ing against them, and 1,400 of those cases will be .
tried in civilian courts; and
--publication of the list of prisoners would begin on
January 27..
. Members of the Carro mission and another Paris-based
human rights group also met with Navy Commander Massera. The
Admiral expressed sympathy with the human rights victims,
bemoaned his inability to change matters, and blamed the
situation on the army. (CONFIDENTIAL, State 023405, Jan-
uary 28; Buenos Aires 657, January 26 and 704, January 27.)
. INR Comment: Despite the promises of Videla and
Harguindeguy, there is still no official published list of
state-of-siege detainees. Harguindeguy may be encountering
the same uncooperative attitude on the part of various
security entities holding prisoners that he has faced in
the past.
Massera's lament is now familiar but difficult to credit.
He is a clever, unscrupulous politician whose subordinates
have been guilty of human rights abuses. (CONFIDENTIAL)
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