NDI FENDS OFF RAID BY INTERIOR MINISTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001796 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/9/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM TI SUBJECT: NDI FENDS OFF RAID BY INTERIOR MINISTRY CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy Dushanbe, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) During a National Democratic Institute (NDI) training program for Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) members, three plainclothes militia members tried to break up the event, calling it an "unauthorized religious gathering." According to NDI program directors Gegham Sargsyan and Nurul Rakhimbekov, the police showed their Ministry of Interior identification and then said NDI had failed to register the October 28 event with the MOI. (NOTE: An April 14 MFA Circular Note instructs NGOs to notify the MFA of meetings of more than 10 participants, but we are unaware of any requirement to register any event with the MOI. END NOTE.) After a heated 30-minute discussion, the police left, but continued to observe participants entering and exiting from the street. ¶2. (C) Sargsyan and Rakhimbekov admitted they had not notified the MFA about the training program, but lamented they were stuck between a rock and a hard place due to their legal limbo. If they notified the government of their event, they ran the risk of having the government ban any event, due to their lack of registration. ¶3. (SBU) However, they commented they had recently conducted the same party-building training programs for the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) with great success. Despite their unregistered status, they enjoy good relations with the PDPT, which has sought out NDI help to train women and regional party members. NDI was even been invited by the Ministry of Justice-the same ministry that has yet to register NDI-to help Justice Minister Hamidov lead a training program in honor of Constitution Day November 6. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: It is hard to say whether the actions of the militia targeted NDI or the bearded IRPT members entering the meeting; however, in light of recent government attempts to control mosques and prevent girls from wearing the hijab in public schools, we lean towards the notion this was directed at the IRPT. NDI's legal limbo seems to make it harder for them to conduct activities beyond those that help build the capacity of the ruling party. Post advised NDI to behave as if it were a registered NGO. HOAGLAND NNNN