This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS CAIRO 001227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ELA AND L 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PREL EG
SUBJECT: ASSURANCES FOR FUGITIVE MURDER SUSPECT SAMEH 
KHOUZAM 
 
REF: STATE 31054 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Taking advantage of a February 27 call on Minister 
of Justice Aboul Leil, Ambassador drew from reftel to urge 
the GOE to provide assurances, following of the precedent of 
the Nabil Soliman case, that would allow the U.S. to return 
to Egypt fugitive murder suspect Sameh Khouzam.  The 
Ambassador stressed that both sides have an interest in 
seeing that justice is done in the Khouzam case.  The written 
assurances from a senior official were necessary for the USG 
to move forward.   He added that the USG fully understood and 
appreciated that torture is a criminal offense in Egypt and 
expected that there could be flexibility from the U.S. side 
on the nature of any monitoring mechanism established to 
track Khouzam's welfare. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Aboul Leil, who had been briefed on the case in 
advance of the meeting, told the Ambassador that he "fully 
understood" the situation, but noted that the matter fell 
under the jurisdiction of Egypt's Public Prosecutor, "an 
independent legal entity."  The Minister added his belief 
that "all we can do is guarantee that he will be treated in 
full accordance with Egypt's law and its constitution."  That 
said, the Minister added, it may be possible for working 
levels on each side to reach an understanding that would be 
acceptable to both sides. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment:  Embassy Cairo recommends that Washington 
agencies review Public Prosecutor Maher Abdel Wahid's letter, 
conveyed in 05 Cairo 6755, for elements that might be 
incorporated into a compromise text that meets our minimum 
requirements for the return of Khouzam.  The travel of a 
USDOJ delegation to observe the March 20-21 Judicial 
Cooperation Conference, and participate in subsequent March 
22 bilateral MLAT discussions with the GOE, appear to present 
a good opportunity to negotiate assurances with the GOE.  End 
comment. 
RICCIARDONE