TAJIKISTAN: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES UNDER SCRUTINY

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001354 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES UNDER SCRUTINY REF: DUSHANBE 541 ¶1. (U) Tajik media reported that Murodullo Davlatov, Chairman of the State Committee for Religious Affairs (SCRA),in a press conference July 13, singled out the Jehovah's Witnesses and said that the group's proselytizing activities "arouse public indignation." Valery Dudaev, Tajikistan's Jehovah's Witnesses Representative, met with PolOff July 17 to discuss the roots of Davlatov's statements. ¶2. (SBU) Dudaev reported that in an earlier meeting, SCRA Deputy Chairman Rashidov showed Dudaev letters to the SCRA from the Ministry of Security (MOS) and Ministry of Interior (MOI) complaining about Jehovah's Witnesses. Dudaev said these letters state the same complaints Davlatov has publicly voiced, including parents' objection to their children converting to a different faith and the public's general annoyance with Jehovah's Witnesses. The usually moderate and progressive-minded SCRA Deputy Chairman Rashidov told Dudaev he agrees with the MOI and MOS's letters of complaints and asked the organization to stop proselytizing. ¶3. (SBU) Dudaev reported that since Davlatov's statements, Jehovah's Witnesses have not faced any direct harassment, but did encounter other problems recently. About two months ago, Tajik militia confiscated a truckload of religious literature Jehovah's Witnesses imported into Tajikistan. After detaining nine members for about three hours and questioning them, the militia released the members and their literature. In addition, although Jehovah's Witnesses had its national charter approved by former SCRA Chairman Ahmedov and is registered, the local government in Tursunzoda still will not register that chapter. Thus far, local officials have turned a blind eye to Jehovah's Witnesses activities and have not forced the 100 members in Tursunzoda to close down. ¶4. (U) In Davlatov's statements to the press, he observed that religious organizations of all faiths often act outside the scope of their charters and national law, including charity organizations that also carry out religious work. He named the Turkish organization Ufuq as one such group and said that the SCRA has also met with the charity's management. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Davlatov's statements may be an attempt to garner support for his draft law on religion that has been sidelined. If the public believes religious organizations are operating outside of their bounds and need to be reigned in, it may support the new draft law that restricts religious activity even further (reftel). Specifically for the Jehovah's Witnesses, Davlatov's comments signal potential trouble. The organization will be increasingly scrutinized and the government may look for any excuse to clamp down on the group's activities. It is unlikely the Turusonzoda office will be registered in the near future. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND