Page 147 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

-CMfHJtifrrffT ! N w U MIH G
Department of Stal T E L E G R A M

P A G E B 1 BUENOS B5656 12 OF 13 212254Z 5767 BUENOS B565S B2 OF 13 212Z54Z
ACT'OK AAA-14
INTERVIEWED ALMOST EVERY PEN PRISONER IN ARGENTINA.
, INFO OCT-II ISO-11 HA-15 T1SE-11 CIAE-11 OOOE-B1 PH-15 HE NOTED THAT ABOUT SB PERCEHT HAD BEEN TORTURED. SOME
iTTi INI-11 L-I3 NSAE-BB NSC-15'. PA-11 SP-12 KAO MERELY BEEN BEATEN UP BUT THE LARGE MAJORITY HAD
SS-15 ICA-11 AID-15 /B7I V 1EEN SUBJECTED TO ELECTRIC SHOCK OR THE SUBMAR I HE. THE
................................... 121341 22B12IZ /64 ICRC REP WAS HOT OPTIMISTIC THAT THE RED CROSS WOULD BE
R 212114Z JUl 71 ABLE TO INFLUENCE ANY CHANGE IN THE WIDESPREAD PRACTICE
FH AHEH1ASSY BUENOS AIRES OF TORTURE IN ARGENTINA. THE REP STATED THAT NO GOVERNMENT
TO SECSTATE VASHDC 6623 IN THE WORLD ADMITS THAT TORTURE TAXES PLACE AND A GOVERNMENT
INFO AHEHBASSY ASUNCION CANNOT CORRECT A PROBLEM WHICH IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE.
ANEIUASSY MONTEVIDEO
AHEHBASSY SANTIAGO THE DELEGATE RECOGNIZED THAT PHYSICAL MISTREATMENT OF
USCINCSO OUARRY NTS PEN .PRISONERS IS INFREOUENT AFTER THEY HAVE PASSEO
THROUGH THE INTERROGATION PHASE, I.E., AFTER THEY HAVE
CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 2 OF 3 BUENOS AIRES 5656 PASSED OFFICIALLY TO THE PEH. HOWEVER, VARIOUS FORMS
OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE PERSIST IN THE PRISONS.
II - JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES PROBLEMS CONTINUE
ESTIMATED PRISON POPULATION AS OF JULY 1, 1171:
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES' LEADER INFORMED EHBASSY OH
JUNE 21,THAT GOVERNMENT ACTION HAS RESULTED IN THE VIRTUAL PRISON PEN* DAM*
EXPULSION OF EVERY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CHILD FROH THE LA PLATA PRISON B5I 2B TO 5B (MULTISOURCED)
ARGENTINE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE WITNESSES ABEL I EVE THAT MORE DEVOTO PRISON 751
THAN A THOUSAND CHILDREN HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EXPELLED. SIERRA CHICA 53B UNCONFIRMED REPORT OF OVER 101
ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES' SPOKESMAN, HAHY SCHOOL SYSTEMS CORONDA 451
USED THE WITNESSES REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELABORATE RESISTENCIA 351 21 (ICRC)
JUNE 28 FLAG DAY EXERCISES AS THE PRETEXT FOR THE EXPULSIONS. RAWSOJI 25B S (ICRC)
TO THE WITNESSES PARTICIPATION IN FLAG DAY CORDOBA 151 51 PLUS/MINUS (ICRC)
CEREMONIES IS A FORM OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND IS FORBIDDEN. CASEROS MUNICIPAL 41 -
MENDOZA 22
THE ARGENTINE WITNESSES HAVE SUBMITTED A OETAILEO
ARTICLE ON THE REPRESSION OF THE LOCAL CHURCH FOR PUBLICATION I ICRC ESTIMATES (PROTECT)
IN THE AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES MAGAZINE,
AWAKE. THE ARTICLE IS EXPECTED TO BE PRINTED IN ALL THE • UNRECOGNIZED PRISONERS HELD AT THE
WORLD'S MAJOR LANGUAGES. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES' DISPOSITION OF HILITARY AUTHORITIES.
SPOKESMAN, THE ARGENTINE LEADERSHIP PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE (ACCORDING TO SECURITY FORCES THERE HAY BE UP TO 5B1
COMES OF THE ARTICLE TO ALL SENIOR EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL AROUND THE COUNTRY AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME.)
OFFICIALS IN ARGENTINA, AS WELL AS TO EACH ARGENTINE.
AMBASSADOR ABROAD. VILLA DEVOTO FIRE UPDATE
THE WITNESSES' SPOKESMAN COMMENTED THAT THE MINISTRY ICRC SOURCE (PROTECT) INFORMED EMBASSY RECENTLY
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND WORXSHIP HAS STILL HOT ISSUED THE THAT FOUR PRISONERS HELD UNDER PEH WERE INVOLVED IN THE
FORMS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF RELIGIONS IN ARGEHTINA UNDER MARCH 14, 1S7I VILLA DEVOTO RIOT ANOFIRE.
LAW 21,745. HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS HO POSSIBILITY OF ACCORDING TO SOURCE, ALL FOUR WERE BEING HELO ON DRUG
THE WITNESSES REGISTRATION BEING APPROVED, GIVEN THE CHARGES BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY UNDER PEN AS WELL, AS THEY HAD
CURRENT DECREE BANKING THE WITNESSES FROM PUBLICLY PRACTICING FALSE ARGENTINE PASSPORTS WHEN ARRESTED, WHICH PUT THEM UNDER
THEIR FAITH. HE NOTED THAT THE ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT SUSPICION OF BEING POSSIBLE SUBVERSIVES AS WELL. THREE
IS NOW REFERRING TO THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AS AN OF THE DRUG TRAFFICKERS DIED IN THE FIRE. THE BADLY BURNT
‘.ORGANIZATION WITH RELIGIOUS COLORATIONS* (TIHTE RELIGIOSJU. SURVIVOR TOLD THE ICRC THAT HE AND THE OTHER PEH PRISONERS
HAD NO CONNECTION WITH SUBVERSION BUT WERE DRUG ADDICTS
ON JUNE S, THE LOCAL PRESS REPORTED THAT THE PROVINCE AND TRAFFICKERS WHO HAO OBTAINED FALSE PASSPORTS TO USE
OF SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO HAD ISSUED A DECREE PROHIBITING IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES.
ANY TYPE OF ACTIVITY BY THE WITNESSES. THE DECREE ORDERS
THE SEIZURE OF ALL WITNESSES MATERIALS AND THE CLOSING OF WITH .REFERENCE TO A HAY 4, 1371 LETTER TO THE
ALL WITNESSES' FACILITIES WHERE ‘PUBLIC OR PRIVATE* SECRETARY IN WHICH COHA DlkECTOR LAURENCE R. 8IRNS ARGUES
MEETINGS ARE HELD. AGAINST EXPORT LICENSES FOR THE SALE OF THREE TROOP­
CARRYING BOEING' CH-47 HELICOPTERS ALLEGING THAT
RED CROS5 ACTIVITIES: TORTURE REPORT ‘HELICOPTERS SIMILAR TO THE ONES BEING SUPPLIED’ WERE USED
IN PUTTING DOWN THE VILLA DEVOTO PRISON RIOT AND CRUSHING
SIX RED CROSS SWISS NATIONAL DELEGATES AND TWO SWISS LABOR STRIKES, VE NOTE THE FOLLOWING BASED OH DISCREET
OOCTORS ARE CONTINUING TO VISIT ARGENTINE NON-CRIMINAL INQUIRIES OF SECURITY SOURCES:
PRISONERS THROUGHOUT ARGENTINA. THE RED CROSS PLANS TO
VISIT ALL THE MAJOR PENAL FACILITIES IN ARGENTINA THREE
TIMES DURING 1S71 AND THE SMALLER INSTITUTIONS TWICE.
ICRC SOURCE (PROTECT) STATED THAT AT PRESENT SIERRA CHICA
WHICH HOLOS 53B PEN PRISONERS AND TINY LA RIOJA PRISON
APPEAR TO BE THE COUNTRY'S WORST. IN GENERAL, THROUGHOUT
ARGEHTINA PEN PRISONERS ARE UNDERFED, HAVE LITTLE OR NO
MEDICAL ATTENTION AND NO HEAT IN THE WINTER.

THE RED CROSS DELEGATE STATED THAT ICRC REPS HAD
-mmrntft-