Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUSHANBE1329
2006-07-14 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:  

TAJIKISTAN'S SDPT CHAIRMAN SUFFERS STROKE, ALLEGES FOUL

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KDEM TI 
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RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 9371
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001329 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN'S SDPT CHAIRMAN SUFFERS STROKE, ALLEGES FOUL
PLAY


CLASSIFIED BY: William Hamer, IPO, State, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001329

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN'S SDPT CHAIRMAN SUFFERS STROKE, ALLEGES FOUL
PLAY


CLASSIFIED BY: William Hamer, IPO, State, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Rahmatullo Zoyirov, Chairman of the Social Democratic
Party of Tajikistan (SDPT) met with PolOff July 13 after
suffering a minor stroke two weeks earlier. Zoyirov, an
energetic opposition politician, was noticeably absent during
the Embassy's official opening on June 28 and the July 4
reception. After the stroke, Zoyirov says he went into hiding
so no one would notice that half of his body was paralyzed.
Since then, he has recovered tremendously and gained most of the
movement in his body, but is visibly weak. His walk is slow and
the right side of his body shows little movement.


2. (C) Zoyirov (48) claims that prior to the stroke, he had no
health problems. Doctors recently examined him and declared
that his body is perfectly healthy despite suffering the stroke.
Because of this sudden attack, Zoyirov and his deputies suspect
he was poisoned. As a frequent critic of the government,
Zoyirov has been the target of government harassment. In May
the General Prosecutor's office called him in for several days
of questioning about his previous legal work defending alleged
Hizb-ut Tahrir members. Over the past few months, Ministry of
Security officials have allegedly questioned Zoyirov's neighbors
and asked them to spy on him. His daughter has even been
followed at school, he said.


3. (C) Because the SDPT is largely driven by Zoyirov's
personality and public character, the party has not publicly
released information on Zoyirov's health. Public knowledge that
Zoyirov is unhealthy and suffered a stroke could hurt the
party's already weak morale and membership base. When asked
about Zoyirov's whereabouts, party officials explain he is
traveling out of the country.


4. (C) Zoyirov will seek treatment in Moscow and possibly
elsewhere in Europe. He asked PolOff's assistance in obtaining
medicine from the United States. He said the medicine his
doctor prescribed cannot be found easily in Tajikistan, and he
alleged that all the medicine found in pharmacies are illegal,
fake drugs. PolOff wished Zoyirov well and assured him that she
would see what she could do.


5. (C) COMMENT: Regardless of whether Zoyirov was poisoned or
suffered a stroke naturally, his deteriorating health strikes a
blow to the SDPT. The party's membership has declined
significantly. Newspaper articles continue to slander the SDPT
as well as other perceived opposition groups. Known as the
country's top lawyer, Zoyirov is well-respected and no one else
in the party has the same national recognition, primarily
because Zoyirov, before he went into opposition, was President
Rahmonov's chief legal advisor and played a key role in drafting
Tajikistan's first constitution.


6. (C) COMMENT CONT'D: Of the eight registered political
parties, only four are considered genuine parties that offer an
alternative viewpoint to the ruling People's Democratic Party of
Tajikistan: the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT),the Socialist
Party (SPT),the Democratic Party (DPT) and the SDPT. Of these
four, the IRPT's chairman, Said Abdullo Nuri is ill with cancer,
DPT Chairman Mahmmadruzi Iskandarov is serving a 23-year prison
sentence, and the SPT has split into two factions. The
legally-registered SPT faction allies itself with the
government, and the unregistered faction has been pushed to the
sidelines and lost the majority of its membership. Although
President Rahmonov and the PDPT hold a monopoly on power, if
Zoyirov had to pull out of politics because of health reasons,
it would sideline one of the few true opposition parties. His
opposition voice serves as a reminder that there are people with
alternative viewpoints in Tajikistan. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND