NATIONWIDE PROSECUTION OF FAITH-BASED NGO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000999

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016
TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: NATIONWIDE PROSECUTION OF FAITH-BASED NGO


Classified By: Amb. Jon R. Purnell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: According to senior management at the
faith-based NGO Central Asian Free Exchange (CAFE),the GOU
has launched a coordinated effort to prosecute several of its
regional offices. Seven of its nine provincial offices have
come under scrutiny by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). These
branches have been reportedly barraged with numerous
administrative charges, requests for re-registration and
comprehensive audits. Because the NGO registered each office
independently, the GOU must prosecute each individual branch
in order to shut the entire organization down. End Summary.



2. (C) During civil court proceedings in the three Ferghana
Valley cities of Andijon, Kokand and Ferghana, CAFE is being
accused of conducting missionary activities and
proselytizing. These allegations resulted in the ordered
closure of the Ferghana and Kokand branch offices on May 19.
According to the GOU, these charges were backed by "credible"
testimony and written statements from several villagers.
CAFE officials believe that National Security Service (NSS)
officers were gathering false statements from area residents
several weeks ago with the intention of using them in court
proceedings. Kokand Staff members noted that their director
was specifically implicated by villagers for having visited
their village to conduct religious activities, a charge the
director emphatically denies. Similar news reports addressed
accusations that CAFE employees promoted the Protestant faith
with donations of bicycles to underprivileged families. It
was also reported that humanitarian aid from CAFE was only
provided to Uzbek citizens agreeing to convert to
Christianity.


3. (C) In March, CAFE's office in Nukus faced
administrative charges for operating with an unregistered
logo, utilizing the internet without proper licenses, and
changing office directors three times without informing the
MOJ. In Karshi, the MOJ requested that CAFE undergo the long
and tedious process of re-registering in order to review the
organization's documentation. On May 18, CAFE's headquarters
in Tashkent was told that the Karshi office had been denied
re-registration. The government audited the Samarkand branch
office in November. The office recently received a letter
detailing various problems, including discrepancies with
licenses. The CAFE office in Gulistan is the only branch thus
far that has survived court proceedings.


4. (C) Comment: CAFE has been operating in country for
over thirteen years with few problems from the GOU.
Authorities seemed to overlook the fact that CAFE
representatives are widely known to hold bible studies and
prayer groups with local community members. Up until now,
the success of their humanitarian aid and education projects
may have played a role in their immunity. The GOU has
changed their tune by initiating a nationwide crackdown in an
attempt to force the organization out of the country. Many
speculate that CAFE is simply the next in line to face the
wrath of the MOJ, noting that some regional offices face
purely administrative allegations. Many of the MOJ's
criticism of CAFE echo those made against Internews, IREX,
Freedom House, the Eurasia Foundation, the American Bar
Association and Counterpart Consortium just prior to
government expulsion. However, other CAFE offices face
allegations of proselytizing, giving the impression that the
GOU will utilize multiple tactics to expedite the
organization's departure.
PURNELL