OSCE CiO STANDS FIRM ON HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000359

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR TX
SUBJECT: OSCE CiO STANDS FIRM ON HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA


Summary
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1. (SBU) Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Minister of Foreign
Affairs Karel De Gucht, visited Turkmenistan on March 29.
Ashgabat OSCE Center Human Dimensions Officer Benjamin
Moreau told Pol/Econ Off on March 31 that De Gucht
emphasized to both President Niyazov and the Minister of
Foreign Affairs Rashit Meredov that all future
cooperation is linked to human rights improvement and
democratic reforms. End Summary.

Meredov Request: No Mention of HR Cases to President
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2. (SBU) According to Moreau, De Gucht delivered
"verbatim" OSCE Ashgabat's talking points to Foreign
Minister Meredov during a lunch March 29, emphasizing
human rights. Meredov then asked De Gucht not to discuss
individual human rights cases with Niyazov.


3. (SBU) Undeterred by Meredov's request, De Gucht
raised four specific human rights cases with Niyazov
during their almost two-hour conversation:

Muhammetguly Aymyradov, political prisoner since 1995,
(included in the 2005 Human Rights Report (HRR)).

Rahym Esenov, writer denied permission to go to Moscow
for medical treatment, (included in the 2005 HRR).

Guljan Koker, Turkish Turkmen dual national denied
permission to return to Turkey because she is the
niece of former Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the
OSCE Batyr Berdiev who was accused of participating in
the 2002 assassination attempt of President Niyazov.
This is an OSCE advocacy case.

Members of the family of former Deputy Central Bank
Chairman Annadurdy Hajiev, who is a member of the
Turkmen opposition group "Watan Socio-Political
Movement" established by former Central Bank Chief
Hudayberdy Orazov. Since 2002, Hajyev and his wife,
Chairwoman of the Turkmenistan Helsinki Fund Tajigul
Begmedova, live in exile in Varna, Bulgaria. They
both were declared wanted by GOTX authorities for
their alleged involvement in the USD 41 million theft
from Turkmenistan's Central Bank in the summer of

2002. Primary suspect in that crime, Arslan Kakayev,
is a nephew of Tajigul Begmedova. Following the
theft, several of Begmedova's (at least a brother and
a sister) and Hajyev's (at least a brother) relatives
were arrested and convicted in Turkmenistan.
Begmedova's father Sazak Begmedov, former Deputy
Prosecutor General of Turkmenistan, was forcibly
resettled from Ashgabat to Dashoguz where he currently
lives. Elements of this case are included in the 2005
HRR. This is an OSCE advocacy case.

The president gave his word that he would personally
address these issues and De Gucht promised to pass all of
the case information formally to the president via the
MFA.


4. (U) Additionally, the OSCE's March 29 press release
noted that De Gucht spoke with Niyazov about the need to
amend national legislation to bring it into compliance
with international conventions and the need for
international organizations to have unlimited access to
prisoners. De Gucht said that the OSCE is willing to
support the education sector and he emphasized
participation in exchange programs. He also urged the
GOTX to organize free and open elections in July. De
Gucht also spoke about energy issues and Europe's future
needs for Turkmenistan's gas.

Comment
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5. (SBU) That De Gucht took the opportunity to raise
high-profile human rights cases with the president, the

ASHGABAT 00000359 002 OF 002


only person in the government with the power to resolve
them, was welcome. Previous OSCE CiOs have focused
primarily on bilateral issues. Post is working on late
April travel arrangements for Esenov, so De Gucht's
efforts might prove timely for a successful resolution
of, at least, one additional human rights/freedom of
movement case. End Comment.

JACOBSON