US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1244

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001244 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, PRM; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 07-16-13 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, PREF, MV, CE, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  Action request concerning Maldivian national 
accused of Islamic extremist activities 
 
Refs:  (A) 02 Colombo 2329; (B) 02 Colombo 1113 
 
(U) Classified by Donald A. Camp, Charge d'Affaires. 
Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (U) This is an Action Request -- Please see 
Para Four. 
 
2.  (C) Mission has received information that a Maldivian 
national who was convicted of anti-Maldivian government 
(GoRM) activities last year is in Sri Lanka.  This 
individual, Ibrahim Luthfee, was convicted along with 
two other Maldivian nationals of subversion in July 2002 
and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment (see Reftels). 
In explaining the long sentences, the Maldivian 
government had told us that the three were extremists 
bent on overthrowing President Gayoom's government and 
replacing it with an Islamic state.  In terms of 
specifics, the three men had reportedly worked together 
in a business in Malaysia and were involved with a 
website that carried anti-GoRM information.  After the 
GoRM determined that the men were engaged in anti- 
government activities, the three were arrested upon 
their return from Malaysia and tried.  (Note:  Last 
year, Mission had looked at the website, which is called 
"Sandhaanu, and it carried some anti-U.S. and pro-Al- 
Qaeda content.  The website is still in operation, 
though there had been some reports that the Maldivian 
authorities had managed to close it down.) 
 
3.  (C) According to several sources, Lufthee was 
brought to Colombo in late May for medical treatment and 
managed to escape from Maldivian police custody. 
Mission was contacted by a United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protection officer on 
July 15 who confirmed that Luthfee was in Sri Lanka. 
The UNCHR officer stated that Luthfee's case was under 
review to determine possible refugee status.  Pending 
the outcome of this review, UNHCR planned to contact 
Mission to ascertain possible resettlement in the U.S. 
 
4.  (C) ACTION REQUEST:  Mission requests information on 
whether this individual is of interest from a 
counterterrorism standpoint.  Further, Mission requests 
guidance on how to respond to any inquiries regarding 
potential resettlement in the U.S. from UNHCR.  END 
ACTION REQUEST. 
 
5.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
CAMP