Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TASHKENT325
2006-02-13 12:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
how-toVZCZCXRO4789 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHNT #0325 0441248 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 131248Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5159 INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY 7615 RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 1727 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 2252 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2144 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 6543 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1663
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000325
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: FREEDOM HOUSE APPEAL DENIED
REF: A) Tashkent 121, B) Tashkent 55
Classified by Amb. Jon R. Purnell for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000325
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: FREEDOM HOUSE APPEAL DENIED
REF: A) Tashkent 121, B) Tashkent 55
Classified by Amb. Jon R. Purnell for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) On February 7, Freedom House lost its appeal of an
Uzbek court order issued January 11 suspending its
operations for six months (Ref A). After deliberating for
approximately seven minutes, the appeals court also upheld
the decisions to forward allegations that Freedom House
illegally operated an unlicensed Internet connection to the
prosecutorQs office for criminal investigation. Freedom
House may appeal this latest decision to the Chief Judge of
the Tashkent Court and then to the Civil Collegium of the
Supreme Court. However, Freedom House activities in
Uzbekistan are now suspended, as further appeals will not
stay the judgment.
2. (C) Comment: So far, this case has more or less followed
the pattern established by the Internews and IREX cases.
If the trend continues, we can expect prosecutors to begin
a criminal investigation against Freedom House staff in the
near future. It also is possible that the GOU might decide
to speed the process up by using the new criminal and
administrative code amendments (Ref B) to allege that
Freedom House should be closed permanently based on
repeated violations of the law. Either way, Freedom House
is well on its way to eventual liquidation.
PURNELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: FREEDOM HOUSE APPEAL DENIED
REF: A) Tashkent 121, B) Tashkent 55
Classified by Amb. Jon R. Purnell for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) On February 7, Freedom House lost its appeal of an
Uzbek court order issued January 11 suspending its
operations for six months (Ref A). After deliberating for
approximately seven minutes, the appeals court also upheld
the decisions to forward allegations that Freedom House
illegally operated an unlicensed Internet connection to the
prosecutorQs office for criminal investigation. Freedom
House may appeal this latest decision to the Chief Judge of
the Tashkent Court and then to the Civil Collegium of the
Supreme Court. However, Freedom House activities in
Uzbekistan are now suspended, as further appeals will not
stay the judgment.
2. (C) Comment: So far, this case has more or less followed
the pattern established by the Internews and IREX cases.
If the trend continues, we can expect prosecutors to begin
a criminal investigation against Freedom House staff in the
near future. It also is possible that the GOU might decide
to speed the process up by using the new criminal and
administrative code amendments (Ref B) to allege that
Freedom House should be closed permanently based on
repeated violations of the law. Either way, Freedom House
is well on its way to eventual liquidation.
PURNELL