Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASHGABAT987
2006-09-18 13:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

GOVERNMENT OF TURKMENISTAN REFUSES TO MAKE PUBLIC

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PREL OSCE TX 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000987 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL OSCE TX
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF TURKMENISTAN REFUSES TO MAKE PUBLIC
MYRADOVA AUTOPSY

REF: ASHGABAT 00983 AND PREVIOUS

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 000987

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL OSCE TX
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF TURKMENISTAN REFUSES TO MAKE PUBLIC
MYRADOVA AUTOPSY

REF: ASHGABAT 00983 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush for Reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) On September 16 Turkmenistan's Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Rashit Meredov, emphatically told OSCE Ambassador
Djikic that Turkmenistan did not intend to make public the
results of the Myradova autopsy. Taking a legalistic
approach, Meredov told Djikic that Myradova's case had been
handled in full compliance with Turkmenistan's law and
stressed that local law did not permit the government to
release the autopsy results to anybody other than family
members. He also said that an investigation still was
pending into additional charges of espionage and treason
against the two remaining individuals convicted with
Myradova, Annagurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Hajiyev, and
said that Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the OSCE would react
if requested by participating states to the Myradova case at
the next meeting of the OSCE's Permanent Council. Charge
plans to have a moment of silence for Myradova during a media
reception on September 19 and to raise the case along the
lines used by the OSCE CiO if she sees Meredov on September

20. On September 18, French Ambassador Christian Lechervy
told Charge, German Charge and UK Ambassador that the French
program "Galaxie" intended to show a documentary on
Turkmenistan, portions of which feature Myradova and
Amanklychev on French Channel 2 at 1900 local time on
September 28. Lechervy said a number of other television
stations, including Al Jazeera, had bought the rights to air
the documentary. End Summary.

Djikic Meeting
--------------


2. (C) In response to the CiO of the OSCE, Belgian Foreign
Minister Karel de Gucht's September 15 press release
expressing deep concern about the death in custody of
Ogulspapar Myradova and calling on Turkmenistan's authorities
to adhere to their OSCE commitments and to conduct a full and
impartial investigation into her death, Foreign Minister

Meredov called in OSCE Ambassador Djikic on September 16.
Djikic had been requesting a meeting with Meredov since
before Myradova's death. Following the meeting Djikic told
Charge Meredov's response was emphatic:

-- Ogulspapar Myradova was not a registered journalist and
therefore should not be considered one;

-- Myradova's case was handled in full compliance with
Turkmenistan's law: Myradova's lawyer had been given access
to the bill of indictment and to the court decision as
prescribed by law;

-- Myradova's autopsy had been conducted by a certified and
accredited forensic doctor and the results would be released
to the family eventually;

-- Turkmenistan law permits autopsy results to be released
only to family members, so the government would not release
the results publicly;

-- An investigation is still pending into additional charges
of espionage and treason against Annagurban Amanklychev and
Sapardurdy Hajiyev, who were convicted with Myradova of
weapons possession;

-- Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the OSCE would respond to the
Myradova case during the next OSCE Permanent Council meeting
if requested by other participating states.


3. (C) According to Djikic, Meredov also said that

ASHGABAT 00000987 002 OF 002


Turkmenistan would officially protest the participation of
"criminals and terrorists" in the upcoming OSCE Human
Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw and would
boycott the meeting if these persons were allowed to attend.
(Comment: Meredov likely is referring prior attempts of
various Turkmenistan opposition groups to attend the HDIM as
NGOs. End Comment.)


4. (C) Djikic told Charge that he responded that not
following up with a full and impartial investigation into
Myradova's death would be a bad move for Turkmenistan.
Meredov, according to Djikic, was unimpressed.
Djikic called on the Government of Turkmenistan to conduct a
thorough and transparent investigation into her death.

Journalists Reception
--------------


5. (C) Charge is planning on offering a minute of silence
for Myradova at a September 19 media reception at her
residence which may be attended by Foreign Ministry
officials. The Charge also plans to raise the Myradova case
if she can get a meeting with Meredov; she plans to call for
a thorough and impartial investigation and a public
explanation of the investigation results as soon as possible.

French Documentary
--------------


6. (C) Charge met with German Charge and UK and French
Ambassadors on September 18 to compare notes and review
progress. According to French Ambassador Lechevry, the
French television company "Galaxie" had prepared a
documentary on Turkmenistan which was scheduled for broadcast
at 9:00 pm local time on French Channel 2 on September 28.
Lechevry said the documentary was based on footage the
Galaxie team took the first time it came to Turkmenistan
earlier this year and featured Amanklychev and Myradova. In
response to Charge's comment that the two should be
considered Galaxie reporters, Lechevry said no, they were
strictly source "stringers." According to Lechevry, there
were two versions of the documentary, one 52 minutes long and
the other 26 minutes, both focusing on the deteriorating
educational and health systems in Turkmenistan and Niyazov's
demolition of private homes. Lechevry said he had seen the
documentary and it did not include interviews with locals in
Turkmenistan, but rather carried footage shot by the Galaxie
team, accompanied by commentary by various opposition
representatives living outside of Turkmenistan. According to
Lechevry, other television stations had purchased rights to
show the documentary, including Al Jazeera.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) The consistent message coming from EU, OSCE and the
United States is very helpful. The autopsy report will take
a couple of weeks, giving the government time to reverse its
decision about making the report public. That said, the
report will likely be inconclusive, that is why, embassy
believes, the government did not prevent embassy
representatives from viewing the body. End Comment.

/
BRUSH