DURDYKULIYEV AT HOME AND "IN A GOOD MOOD"

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000382 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR TX SUBJECT: DURDYKULIYEV AT HOME AND "IN A GOOD MOOD" REF: A. ASHGABAT 368 ¶B. ASHGABAT 359 ¶1. (SBU) GURBANDURDY DURDYKULIYEV ARRIVED HOME VIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH ESCORTS AND TRANSPORTATION AROUND 0300 ON APRIL 12. DURDYKULIYEV'S WIFE ANNAGUL ANNAYEVA CONFIRMED THAT "HE IS FINE AND IN A GOOD MOOD," AND WELCOMES A POTENTIAL POL OFF VISIT AT HIS HOME EARLY NEXT WEEK. ¶2. (SBU) HAVING HEARD FROM POST ON APRIL 10 ABOUT DURDYKULIYEV'S ANTICIPATED RELEASE, HOSPITAL OFFICIALS TOLD ANNAYEVA ON APRIL 11 THAT LEBAP WELAYAT (PROVINCE) HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES RELEASED DURDYKULIYEV FROM THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL THAT MORNING AND TOOK HIM TO TURKMENABAT, THE CAPITAL OF LEBAP. IN THE AFTERNOON, SHE LEARNED FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OFFICIALS IN ASHGABAT THAT DURDYKULIYEV WAS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN ASHGABAT BY 2000 TO CONTINUE HIS ESCORTED JOURNEY HOME TO BALKANABAT. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: DURDYKULIYEV WAS AT HOME LESS THAN 36 HOURS AFTER FOREIGN MINISTER MEREDOV INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR OF HIS RELEASE FROM A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL (REF A). POST IS PLEASED WITH DURDYKULIYEV'S QUICK RELEASE FOLLOWING NIYAZOV'S APPROVAL, AND WILL FORWARD DETAILS RELATED TO OVER TWO YEARS OF DETENTION AT THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL AS LEARNED. END COMMENT. JACOBSON