TAJIK FM SAYS NDI DETENTION AN ISSUE FOR KAZAKHSTAN, NOT US

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 000798

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK FM SAYS NDI DETENTION AN ISSUE FOR KAZAKHSTAN, NOT US

REF: Dushanbe 0781

CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy
Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (C) Foreign Minister Tabak Nazarov told the Ambassador
April 28 the allegations against detained National Democratic
Institute (NDI) Acting Director Nurul Rahimbekov were too
"shameful" to discuss, but the Embassy of Kazakhstan, not the
United States, must handle the situation (reftel). In a
30-minute meeting at the opening of business, Nazarov noted that
with the upcoming May 2-4 visit of President Rahmonov to Astana,
the Tajik authorities did not want media attention on
Rahimbekov's detention and expulsion. He agreed with the
Ambassador's suggestion that innocent or guilty, the best
solution would be for Rakhimbekov to leave quietly on the next
flight to Almaty, April 30.


2. (C) Referring to the allegations that Rahimbekov and a
Kazakh friend may have paid for sex with two under-aged women in
the NDI offices April 25, Nazarov let slip that he had refused
to look at the "dirty" evidence when the Ministry of Security
offered to show it to him, suggesting there was videotape or
graphic photos. When the Ambassador specifically asked, "Is
there a film?" Nazarov skirted the question. He observed
Tajikistan had good relations with Kazakhstan and would
certainly not jeopardize them without cause by "accusing" a
Kazakhstani citizen. However, if there had been a previous
complaint, it may have led to "increased surveillance" of
Rahimbekov. He noted Rahimbekov had not cooperated with
authorities. He then smiled and remarked, "All this trouble
happens when people drink, they lose their balance. They want
girls, they want to run around."


3. (C) Nazarov pointedly ignored the Ambassador's observations
that the Ministry of Security had never stopped pressure against
NDI, despite allowing Rahimbekov and former director Gegham
Sargsyan to re-register and work for NDI in Tajikistan. The
Ambassador noted that this kind of Soviet style KGB ploy had
been used in Kazakhstan a few years ago against an outspoken
opposition journalist, to international notoriety. Nazarov did
not respond to the Ambassador's suggestion that the similarities
in the current NDI case to a classic Soviet-style sting
operation were too clear to ignore.


4. (C) The Ambassador noted that while no immediate decision
had been made for the NDI office in Dushanbe, the United States
must protect its interests and find new supervision for the NDI
office. He asked that Nazarov work with him to facilitate this.



5. (C) COMMENT: We have given the lead to the Kazakh Embassy
to get their citizen Rahimbekov out of town. The apparent
existence of videotaped or photographic "evidence" all but
confirms this was classic entrapment. We know through other
channels that the Ministry of Security is feeling especially
celebratory and doing lots of high fives. We still do not know
to what degree the Russian services played a role in this sordid
episode. It will be essential for NDI to move quickly to
replace Rahimbekov.

HOAGLAND