Page 56 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

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(S) Clandesti ne Prisoners; The question of whether
clandestine prisone rs exist in significant numbers remains
unresolved. If the re are, they could number up to a
few hundred as an o utside limit; our Embassy considers
it unlikely that th e number would be that highj- We
have no firm eviden ce. Fragmentary data, however, suggest
the existence of at least some unacknowledged prisoners
and of some small s cattered clandestine detention centers
about to be closed.

(C) Right of Option: Moving at a slow pace, with
only 18 GOA approva Is so far for PEN prisoners seeking
to come to the U.S. The GOA has approved approximately
170 applications si nee September 1977 for all countries.

(C) Prison Cc nditions: The GOA issued nation-
wide uniform prison regulations in late April and consolidated
PEN detainees in si x facilities. In February, there
were reports of twe beatings (one fatal) and a disappearance
in prisons and, in May, of. a number of beatings and
robberies among a c roup of prisoners in transit. The
ICRC has told us th at it believes prison conditions
have improved over last year, when it criticized the
GOA for poor prison conditions.

(C) The Judic iary: The NYC Bar Association mission
noted that the Exec utive continues to be uncooperative
in responding to he beas corpus petitions. The Judiciary
has made some atten. pts to force greater cooperation,
but its effective bower remains limited.

(C) Argentine Attitudes Toward the Human Rights
Issue: Videla and Viola appear to be trying to carry
out commitments to us to end disappearances and reduce
PEN detentions. H rdliners such as General Suarez Mason
and General Menende z have recently stepped up calls
for a new GOA offer sive to root out "intellectual subversion."
A political test o strength between these two points
of view is shaping up for year’s end.

(U) The NYC 3ar Association mission noted that
progress is possib e but would come much faster if the
Argentine legal pre fession would take a more active
interest in return to rule of law.

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