Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASTANA2718
2007-09-28 10:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN: CONFUSION SURROUNDS TREASON INVESTIGATION OF

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0749
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #2718/01 2711015
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281015Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0830
INFO RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 0264
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1829
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002718 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: CONFUSION SURROUNDS TREASON INVESTIGATION OF
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH LEADERS

ASTANA 00002718 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002718

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: CONFUSION SURROUNDS TREASON INVESTIGATION OF
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH LEADERS

ASTANA 00002718 001.2 OF 003



1. (SBU) Summary: On August 24, Committee for National Security
(KNB) agents raided the headquarters of the Grace Presbyterian
Church in Karaganda, a Grace Church in Ust Kamenogorsk, and several
church-owned private homes in Karaganda, seizing documents and
computers and questioning church officials. The raid was part of a
treason investigation involving the head of the church and several
of his family members, as well as an Almaty businessman previously
detained on treason charges. The Government of Kazakhstan has
released few details about the investigation, and has forbidden
those under investigation from discussing the case. On September
17, Karaganda regional procurators announced that investigators
found illegal drugs, evidence of fraudulent property transfers, and
materials that promote the superiority of one faith over another and
instigate inter-faith discord. However, observers reported that
these findings actually come from a completely unrelated
investigation in Karaganda. So far, church officials have not been
formally arrested or charged and the churches are able to hold
services, though KNB investigators continue to question church
leaders and congregation members. End summary.


--------------
KNB RAIDS GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES
--------------


2. (U) On August 24, KNB agents conducted a surprise 15-hour raid of
the Grace Presbyterian Church headquarters in the central
Kazakhstani city of Karaganda. On the same day, KNB agents also
raided three church-owned private homes in Karaganda, and another
Grace Church in the eastern Kazakhstani city of Ust Kamenogorsk.
During the raid, agents searched the entire premises, forbade anyone
from entering or leaving, and required those present to write
statements. The agents also seized computers, church literature,
documents, and accounting records. Following the raid, authorities
summoned Archbishop Igor Kim, leader of the church for all of
Kazakhstan, for further questioning.


3. (SBU) Details of the raid were first reported by the Forum 18
news service; Post confirmed details by speaking to a church

official and Aleksandr Klyushev, chairman of the Association of
Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan. Post's regular contacts in
the Religious Issues Committee of the Ministry of Justice knew
nothing of the investigation. The case has received very little
media coverage, and KNB officials have thus far refused to comment
on the investigation.

--------------
RAID CONNECTED TO TREASON INVESTIGATION
--------------


4. (SBU) According to Klyushev and church members present during the
raid, the authorities told church officials that the investigation
is part of a treason investigation, apparently targeting Archbishop
Kim, his sister, a church administrator, and the senior pastor of
the church in Ust-Kamenogorsk, who is Kim's relative. Klyushev and
church members were surprised by the allegations of treason, and had
no information about the possible basis for any treason charge.
Archbishop Kim and the others under investigation were instructed
not to discuss the case publicly. Church members also reported that
all Grace Church affiliates are now facing a tax investigation.


5. (SBU) Klyushev said the investigation is connected to an Almaty
businessman previously detained on treason charges. According to
some of the few press articles to appear on the investigation, the
businessman is Sergei Tsoi. Tsoi is the owner of Kaztranscom
Service, a construction company, and he allegedly defrauded
investors in a large residential construction project in Almaty.
Tsoi is currently in a pre-trial detention facility in Almaty.

SIPDIS
Klyushev and the press reports indicated that Tsoi allegedly made
several large financial donations to the Grace Church. Klyushev was
initially restrained in his public comments on the investigation,
explaining that it appeared to be a financial investigation related
to Tsoi rather then a case of religious persecution.

--------------
LOCAL PROCURATORS CONFUSE THE SITUATION
--------------


6. (SBU) In a strange development, however, the Karaganda regional
procurators' office released a statement on September 17 concerning
the Grace Church investigation. The statement announced that
authorities were investigating the presence of heavy psychotropic
drugs at the church, several suspicious property transfers, and the
presence of materials promoting the superiority of one faith over
another and instigating inter-faith discord. In response to
complaints by church members and the local Kazakhstan International
Human Rights Bureau affiliate that investigators had committed

ASTANA 00002718 002.2 OF 003


procedural violations during their search and seizure, the statement
said that procurators had reviewed the investigation and found no
violations, and warned church members not to interfere. The
statement did not reference the treason aspect of the
investigation.


7. (SBU) According to Klyushev, the facts discussed by the
procurators actually relate to an investigation at the Karaganda
House for Old People, a home for the elderly affiliated with the
Union of Baptist Churches and unrelated to the Grace Church.
Vyacheslav Zhuravlev, vice president of the Union of Baptist
Churches of Kazakhstan, confirmed that investigators had indeed
found drugs in the home that were used to treat an elderly resident,
and that the director of the home had made some mistakes in
transferring some property. He said that procurators were mistaken
in attributing these problems to the Grace Church, though he said
that the Grace Church was one of many churches providing financial
support to the home. Klyushev speculated that procurators
deliberately linked the negative results of that investigation with
the Grace Church in order to deflect criticism of the Grace Church
investigation and erode public sympathy for the Grace Church.

--------------
SO FAR, NO ARRESTS OR FORMAL CHARGES
--------------


8. (SBU) Authorities thus far have not revealed the basis for any
treason investigation, and have not formally arrested or charged Kim
or any church officials. Both of the churches that were raided
continue to hold regular Sunday services, though church officials
report that their operations have been hindered by the seizure of
their computers and other materials. In addition, KNB officers
continued to question church officials and congregation members
about all aspects of the church and its operations.

--------------
BACKGROUND ON THE GRACE CHURCH
--------------


9. (SBU) In the past, KNB officials have publicly criticized the
Grace Church. On September 15, 2006, the deputy chief commander of
the KNB Counter-Terrorism Center made a public statement in support
of legislation to ban destructive sects and organizations like
Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Grace Church.


10. (SBU) In April, Poloff visited the Grace Church headquarters in
Karaganda and met with Archbishop Kim and his staff. The Grace
Church is a protestant, evangelical Christian denomination. The
first church was founded in Karaganda in 1991 by Korean-American
missionary Joseph Yu, and the denomination in Kazakhstan has grown
to just over 200 churches with approximately 12,000 regular
attenders. (Note: After 14 years of living in Kazakhstan, the
government denied Yu reentry into the country in 2005 for
unspecified reasons. End note.)


11. (SBU) The church in Karaganda, with an attendance of 3000 every
week, is the largest Grace Church and the second largest church in
Kazakhstan. In many respects, the church building and separate
headquarters facility resemble the operations of an American
mega-church, with offices, classrooms, kitchen facilities, modern
audiovisual, recording, and lighting equipment in the main
sanctuary, and warehouse facilities for distribution of food and
clothing to the needy. In addition, Grace Church sends missionaries
throughout the former Soviet Union, and operates a seminary in
Kazakhstan with 44 students and 50 interns.


12. (SBU) Kim said that the Grace Church is openly evangelistic, and
Poloff noted several signs and posters in the main sanctuary
encouraging the congregation to witness to their friends and
neighbors and grow the number of Christians in Kazakhstan. Kim
repeatedly praised President Nazarbayev and his policies, and said
that the church prays for him every day during their morning prayer
service. Nevertheless, Kim said that church affiliates occasionally
encounter registration problems in different regions of the country.
He also said that at least one of his staff members was an
informant for law enforcement officials. He said the church was not
bothered by the informant, because they had nothing to hide. At the
time, Kim was optimistic about life in Kazakhstan and the future of
the church, and was confident that God would protect them no matter
what the government does.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


13. (SBU) Comment: The true nature of the case against Grace Church
remains uncertain, though it is clear the investigation is

ASTANA 00002718 003.2 OF 003


proceeding very thoroughly and carries potentially very serious
ramifications for the church and its leadership. Post will continue
to monitor the situation carefully, particularly given past KNB
comments about the church. End comment.


MILAS