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RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0079
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0425

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/C FOR FOX, CASEY 
L/LEI FOR BUCHHOLZ, PROPP, JOHNSON 
L-EUR FOR PETER OLSON, KAREN JOHNSON 
L-AN FOR ONA HAHS 
KIGALI FOR KAMINSKI 
THE HAGUE FOR SCHILDGE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018 
TAGS: PREL PHUM MASS KLIG OFDP RW SP
SUBJECT: RWANDA/SPAIN: FURTHER INFORMATION ON INDICTMENTS 
 
REF: A. FOX-SAMSON-DUNCAN E-MAILS 4/13-14/08 
     ¶B. USUN 297 
     ¶C. KIGALI 246 
     ¶D. KIGALI 237 
     ¶E. KIGALI 227 
     ¶F. MADRID 313 
 
MADRID 00000409  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
Classified By: ADCM Josie Shumake for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Post offers the following answers in 
response to ref A questions from Department regarding the 
Spanish indictment of 40 Rwandan military officers.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C)  WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUDGE ANDREU AND THE 
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE?  Judge Andreu is completely independent 
of the Ministry of Justice, and the MOJ cannot exert 
influence over his investigation or findings.  Requests for 
Interpol red notices go through the Ministry of Justice as a 
matter of administrative procedure, but the MOJ does not have 
the ability to refuse or deny the requests. 
 
¶3. (C)  WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE GOS ABOUT THE INDICTMENT? 
 Per ref F and previous, Spanish MFA Deputy DG for 
Sub-Saharan Africa told Poloff that the GOS does not support 
the indictments but can do nothing to stop them. 
 
¶4. (C)  IS THERE ANYTHING THE GOS COULD/MIGHT DO TO ALLEVIATE 
/ MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THE INDICTMENTS?  The GOS has 
historically claimed impotence in influencing the independent 
judiciary in other cases, including Pinochet, Couso and 
Rumsfeld indictments.  Furthermore, because 15 of the 
indicted individuals are wanted in connection with the death 
of Spanish citizens, the government could face public 
criticism both for "meddling" in judicial affairs, and for 
"protecting" killers of Spaniards.  Therefore, we think such 
intervention unlikely. 
 
¶5. (C)  PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFO ABOUT THE NGO BEHIND THE 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION.  IS IT ALL/MOSTLY PEOPLE 
RELATED TO / ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPANIARDS WHO WERE KILLED OR 
IS IT RWANDAN EXILES?  The NGO is Veritas Rwanda Forum 
(www.veritasrwandaforum.org).  It's full name is Forum 
Internacional para la Verdad y la Justicia en el Africa de 
los Grandes Lagos (International Forum for Truth and Justice 
in Great Lakes Africa).  Its leadership is comprised of 
Spaniard Juan Carrero Saralegui, Spaniard Jordi Palou 
Loverdos, Spaniard (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Adolfo 
Perez Esquivel, American and former Congresswoman Cynthia 
McKinney, Spaniard Irma Rognoni Viader, and Spaniard Federico 
Mayor Zaragoza.  It was founded in March 2000.  The group 
filed their lawsuit with Judge Andreu on February 22, 2005, 
claiming they had 40 witnesses who could attribute the deaths 
of the Spanish citizens to the RPF.  Jordi Palou is the 
group's legal representative and spokesman.  Most of the 
witnesses who are cited in the indictment are in fact Rwandan 
exiles.  Post cannot speak to their legitimacy and would 
defer to AF. 
 
¶6. (C)  WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION TO THE INDICTMENT IN THE 
SPANISH PRESS / PUBLIC AND FROM THE GOS?  The indictments 
have received international and Spanish press, but little 
since the announcement other than the reporting of President 
Kagame's statements condemning the indictments.  There are no 
media updates on the status of the prosecution's efforts or 
anything to that effect.  Veritas Rwanda Forum led a 
demonstration in Brussels after the indictment's 
announcement.  The GOS has made no public comment about the 
indictments.  The Forum's spokesman Jordi Palou published an 
op-ed March 21 in left of center daily EL PAIS entitled 
"Rwanda: nine voices that can no longer be silenced" in 
 
MADRID 00000409  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶7. (C)  IS THERE MORE INTEREST IN SOME INDIVIDUALS INDICTED 
THAN OTHERS?  THE UNAMID DEPUTY COMMANDING GENERAL KARAKE? 
FOR THE ONES WHO ARE INDICTED DIRECTLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE 
DEATHS OF THE SPANISH CITIZENS?  WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WHO ARE 
GENERALLY ACCUSED OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY / GENOCIDE, 
WITHOUT SPECIFIC INCIDENTS?  Fifteen of the forty indictees 
(#'s 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 29) 
are wanted for the murder of the nine Spanish citizens. 
These would naturally be of greater interest.  Karake, who is 
defendant #4, is not sought in connection with the Spaniards, 
but he is sought for a series of other crimes and alleged 
massacres.  Palou was quoted in an August 2007 article in The 
Guardian as opposing the UN appointment of Karake to 
UNAMID/AMIS. 
 
¶8. (C)  WHAT ARE THE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IMPLICATIONS OF THE 
CASE IF ANY OF THE INDICTEES TRAVEL TO THE U.S.?  Veritas 
Rwanda Forum already seems to accept as dogma that the 
current GOR enjoys the protection of the USG, so travel to 
the U.S. would only confirm these theories.  It would not 
look good if any of the indictees were to receive U.S.-funded 
training, etc.  It would be especially awkward if it were one 
of the 15 who are sought in connection with the death of 
Spaniards.  It would be a serious problem if the USG failed 
to honor a red notice, provisional arrest request, or 
extradition request for one of the 15 indictees sought for 
murdering the Spaniards, especially with respect to other 
ongoing bilateral extradition and judicial matters. 
 
¶9. (C)  WHAT ARE THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS?  We are currently 
following several important bilateral judicial cases - the 
pending extradition from Spain of notorious arms dealer 
Monzer Al-Kassar being the most important.  A U.S. failure to 
produce a third-country individual wanted in connection with 
the death of a Spanish citizen could have an adverse impact 
on our attempt to extradite Al-Kassar, a Syrian national, 
from Spain.  In addition, Spain has outstanding arrest 
warrants for three U.S. soldiers who are wanted to stand 
trial for the death of Spanish journalist Jos Couso (killed 
in Iraq in 2003), although the U.S. military has cleared the 
soldiers of any wrongdoing after a thorough investigation.  A 
Spanish woman is being held in contempt by a New Jersey court 
over a custody dispute with her Amcit ex-husband.  A separate 
Spanish judge has opened a prosecution against former SecDef 
Rumsfeld, although authorities have not sought his 
international arrest.  Additionally, ref B brings up the 
possibility that General Karake's removal from UNAMID could 
endanger the Rwandan commitment to Darfur PKO.  Post believes 
this could be a strong argument to use if Department 
instructs us to weigh in with the GOS. 
 
¶10. (C)  PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFO ABOUT THE SPANISH JUDICIAL 
PROCESS.  The Spanish judiciary is completely independent 
from the executive and legislative branch, and the Spanish 
Constitution gives the judiciary a "universal" mandate to 
prosecute human rights violations anywhere in the world.  The 
most famous previous attempted prosecution was of Augusto 
Pinochet, and the Spanish government did not seek to 
interfere with the judiciary in that case, although Pinochet 
was never successfully extradited to Spain.  Other cases have 
included investigation of human rights abuses in Argentina 
during the Dirty War and for an attack against the Spanish 
Embassy in Guatemala in the 1980's.  Former Secretary of 
Defense Rumsfeld is also named in an active indictment over 
the Iraq War.  Other ongoing judicial investigations with 
U.S. implications include inquiries into alleged CIA flights 
 
MADRID 00000409  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
that transited Spain as well as other DOD flights which 
transited the Spanish bases of Moron and Rota.  Although 
judicial officials have not sought to involve Interpol in all 
of these instances, government sources told Embassy officers 
that they would do so in this case (ref F). 
 
¶11. (C)  WHAT IS THE MAGISTRATE'S FUTURE ROLE?  CAN HE 
REQUEST INTERPOL DIFFUSIONS ON HIS OWN?  DO THEY HAVE TO GO 
THROUGH THE MOJ?  The procedure for seeking diffusions leads 
from the indicting court through the National Police to the 
Justice Ministry to Interpol, but the Justice Ministry's role 
is administrative, and it cannot refuse to send the request 
along.  However, even if it could, we think it would be 
highly unlikely to do so in this case given that 15 of the 
individuals are wanted in connection with the death of 
Spanish citizens.  The Spanish National Police can also seek 
Red Notices on their own without consulting Judge Andreu, 
based on the existence of Spanish arrest warrants for the 
individuals, also through the Justice Ministry.  We have no 
indication that they are doing so at this time.  Judge Andreu 
is a Magistrate in the National Court, the second highest 
court in Spain.  He has held the post since March 2002, and 
he has been a judge in the Spanish judiciary for over 20 
years. 
 
¶12. (C)  WHAT DISCRETION DOES THE MAGISTRATE HAVE IN DECIDING 
WHETHER TO REQUEST DIFFUSIONS?  The National Court has 
discretion based on the known whereabouts of the particular 
individual and the strength of their case.  For example, an 
Interpol Red Notice would be unnecessary inside the EU, since 
an EU arrest order would be sufficient. 
 
¶13. (C)  MUST ALL INDICTED DEFENDANTS HAVE SUCH NOTICES PUT 
OUT ON THEM?  We do not think so, but we can hardly ask.  It 
is possible that the first notice requested by Spain for Mr. 
Kabarebe was sent out as a trial balloon to see how Interpol 
would handle the diffusions, thus avoiding potential 
embarrassment for Spain if Interpol were to reject all 40 
notices out of hand (ref E). 
 
¶14. (C)  WHAT EFFECT DOES THIS HAVE IN SCHENGEN COUNTRIES? 
We believe an EU arrest order would be sufficient (and would 
preclude the GOR from challenging the validity of the Red 
Notice). 
 
¶15. (C)  WHAT DOES THE GOS KNOW ABOUT THE INVESTIGATIVE 
PROCESS THAT LED TO THE INDICTMENT?  Responding to informal 
inquiries, MFA and judiciary officials have told Emboffs that 
the investigation was very thorough, lasting over two years. 
Public documents indicate that the NGO Veritas Rwanda Forum 
filed a complaint with the National Court in February 2005, 
and that Judge Andreu agreed to take the case the same year. 
Subsequent testimony and evidence gathering lasted two years, 
with over forty witnesses produced by Veritas Rwanda Forum. 
MFA interlocutors have said that the GOS does not support the 
indictments and believes the ICTR and other international 
bodies are the appropriate fora to seek justice, although 
they have also stated their commitment to justice for the 
nine Spaniards killed. 
 
¶16. (C)  COMMENT:  The GOS supports UNAMID, is committed to 
peace in Africa, and has told us privately that it does not 
support the indictments.  Nevertheless, it will likely claim 
it is powerless to control the judiciary, and we should not 
expect the GOS to go out of its way to obstruct its own 
courts in prosecuting the murder of Spanish citizens.  We 
remain concerned that a dust-up over a Spanish extradition or 
provisional arrest request could cause problems for the U.S. 
extradition request of Monzer Al-Kassar.  As previously 
stated, we have no ability to independently verify the 
testimony and allegations contained in the indictment, nor 
 
MADRID 00000409  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
the credibility of the witnesses who testified.  END COMMENT. 
AGUIRRE