Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASHGABAT1136
2006-11-01 14:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

UNREGISTERED JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN TURKMENISTAN

Tags:  PHUM KIRF PREL PGOV TX 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6378
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAH #1136/01 3051417
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 011417Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7962
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1682
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0423
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0484
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-2/REA/NMJIC-J2//
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0432
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/RUE//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001136 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2016
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PREL PGOV TX
SUBJECT: UNREGISTERED JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN TURKMENISTAN
PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D).

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001136

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2016
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PREL PGOV TX
SUBJECT: UNREGISTERED JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN TURKMENISTAN
PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) Jehovah's Witnesses remains one of the larger
unregistered minority religious congregations in Turkmenistan.
This is largely by the church's choice: Jehovah's Witnesses
is making a meeting with President Niyazov for overseas
Jehovah's Witness leaders a prerequisite for submitting its
application. The authorities have not yet agreed to this
requirement, nor are they likely to do so in future.
Meanwhile, although two congregants were detained for three
days over the weekend of October 28 (they were released
Monday, October 30, several hours after embassy brought their
detention to the notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs),
lengthy detentions and detentions involving physical
harassment have become the exception over the last year.
And, though officials threaten congregants with internal
exile, there have not been any cases of this threat being
carried out. Post believes that Jehovah's Witnesses may be
playing a dangerous game, since there remain strict
penalties for non-registration, but given the current
relaxed atmosphere, Jehovah's Witnesses may believe that
they have most of what they need to worship, less the control
that registration gives the government over their activities.

End Summary.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES MAKE NIYAZOV MEETING A PREREQUISITE
FOR REGISTRATION
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) The Jehovah's Witness church has not yet submitted
its registration application to Turkmenistan's Ministry of
Justice, the organ responsible for registering minority
religious groups. According Andrei Zhbanov (please protect),
a Jehovah's Witness leader and long-time embassy contact,
although the application has been completed for some time,
the group has decided not to submit it until after the
Government of Turkmenistan has approved visas for church
leaders based in the United States to come to Turkmenistan
and meet with President Niyazov "to discuss the benefits of

registration." (Comment: We have been led to believe that
this requirement is coming from U.S.-based leaders, rather
than church members here. End Comment.) Although the
request has been made, for over two years the Government
of Turkmenistan has refused to agree to this requirement
and is unlikely to do so in future. Meanwhile, meetings
of unregistered groups remain a civil offense.

TWO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES RELEASED AFTER THREE DAYS' DETENTION
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Notwithstanding the fact that Jehovah's
Witnesses remains unregistered, however, Zhbanov has
reported a general relaxation of official harassment
against congregants. Two Jehovah's Witness congregants,
Andrey Pomerantsev and his wife, Orungul Umirova, were
detained by the police October 28-30 after they were
caught preaching in public. Yet, the couple was quickly
released without any charges or fines hours after the
embassy, acting on information received from Zhbanov on
October 30, sent in a diplomatic note inquiring about the
circumstances surrounding the couple's detention. And, in
fact, Zhbanov reported that detentions of more than a few
hours -- and beatings and other forms of physical harassment
while individuals are in detention -- have become rare in
the last year. (Comment: The couple's prolonged detention
may have been due to the fact they were detained during the
15th anniversary celebration of Turkmenistan's independence,
when most officials were tied up with the ceremonies. End
Comment.) Zhbanov attributed the relaxation to the
government's recognition that the United States is following
the treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses here closely and its
desire to avoid a spat on this issue.


4. (SBU) Zhbanov also indicated that the police continue to
call in Jehovah's Witness congregants individually --

ASHGABAT 00001136 002 OF 002


particularly ethnic Turkmen. While in detention, congregants
were questioned about their reasons for "turning their backs
on their heritage" and joining the Jehovah's Witness Church;
many also were threatened with internal exile in
Turkmenistan's most difficult regions. However, to date
there have been no cases of Jehovah's Witnesses being sent
into internal exile.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (C) Registration has come as a mixed blessing for those
religious groups that have registered: although congregants
are allowed to worship openly in larger groups and face less
harassment, the religious groups have had to accept much more
scrutiny of their membership rolls, and stronger government
oversight and control over their activities. Some groups,
including the Jehovah's Witnesses, have refused to register
for that reason. Yet Jehovah's Witnesses may be playing a
dangerous game. Given the current relatively relaxed
atmosphere regarding religious freedom, Jehovah's Witnesses
may have less motivation to go forward with registration,
believing that they already have most of what they need to
worship, less the government control. However, with tough
laws against unregistered religious group activity still on
the books, staying unregistered under the pretext of waiting
for visas for their headquarters representatives, is ill
advised.
BRUSH