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


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