NIYAZOV RELEASES PSYCHIATRIC "PATIENT"

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000368 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR TX SUBJECT: NIYAZOV RELEASES PSYCHIATRIC "PATIENT" DURDYKULIYEV REF: ASHGABAT 359 ¶1. (SBU) FOREIGN MINISTER RASHIT MEREDOV TOLD THE AMBASSADOR AT 1715 ON APRIL 10, THAT HE HAD SHOWN OUR CONGRESSIONAL LETTER REQUESTING THE RELEASE OF GURBANDURDY DURDYKULIYEV FROM A MENTAL HOSPITAL TO PRESIDENT NIYAZOV, AND THAT NIYAZOV HAD AGREED TO FREE HIM. DURDYKULIYEV WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL ON FEBRUARY 13, 2004, AFTER WRITING LETTERS TO PRESIDENT NIYAZOV AND THE BALKAN WELAYAT (REGION) MAYOR ANNOUNCING A PLANNED TWO-DAY NON-VIOLENT PROTEST AGAINST THE PRESIDENT'S POLICIES IN FEBRUARY 2004. EMBOFFS MEET IRREGULARLY WITH HIS WIFE AFTER HER VISITS TO DURDYKULIYEV AT THE LEBAP WELAYAT PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL WHERE HE IS A PATIENT. ¶2. (SBU) POST SENT THE APRIL 4 CONGRESSIONAL LETTER PROTESTING THE DURDYKULIYEV CASE ADDRESSED TO PRESIDENT NIYAZOV TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS BY DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON APRIL 6. POST INCLUDED DURDYKULIYEV'S CASE IN THE 2005 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT AND RAISES THE CASE WITH THE GOTX AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. ¶3. (SBU) POL ASSISTANT PHONED DURDYKULIYEV'S WIFE ON APRIL 10 TO CONFIRM MEREDOV'S INFORMATION, BUT THE FAMILY HAS NOT YET BEEN INFORMED. ¶4. (SBU) IN A SEPARATE CASE, ASHGABAT ORGANIZATION FOR COOPERATION IN EUROPE CENTER HUMAN DIMENSIONS OFFICER BENJAMIN MOREAU TOLD POL/ECON OFF ON APRIL 10 THAT TURKISH-TURKMEN DUAL NATIONAL CITIZEN GULJAN KOKER, WHO PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN DENIED PERMISSION TO LEAVE TURKMENISTAN, WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY. THE OSCE CHAIRMAN IN OFFICE, BELGIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS KAREL DE GUCHT RAISED THE KOKER CASE WITH NIYAZOV DURING HIS MARCH 29 MEETING (REFTEL). ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: POST WELCOMES THE POSITIVE RESOLUTION OF THESE TWO HUMAN RIGHTS CASES, AND IS ADVOCATING FOR TRAVEL PERMISSION TO NEW YORK THIS WEEK FOR DISSIDENT WRITER RAHYM ESENOV. WE WILL FORWARD FURTHER DETAILS RELATED TO DURDYKULIYEV'S RELEASE AS WE LEARN THEM. END COMMENT. JACOBSON