LETTER TO AMBASSADOR FROM WIDOW OF KYRGYZ TRUCK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001335 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG SUBJECT: LETTER TO AMBASSADOR FROM WIDOW OF KYRGYZ TRUCK DRIVER SHOT ON DECEMBER 6, 2006 AT MANAS AIR BASE BISHKEK 00001335 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) This cable forwards the text of the fifth letter to the Ambassador from Mrs. Ivanova, the widow of the Kyrgyz truck driver who was shot on December 6, 2006 by a U.S. airman at Manas Air Base. The letter includes a long litany of alleged unfulfilled commitments by the U.S. side to cooperate in the investigation into the incident, and ends with a request for a written response regarding "the current status of the case." The letter is also addressed to FM Karabayev and Prosecutor General Satybaldiev. The letter was published by the wire service "24.kg" a day before the Embassy received it and is the fifth letter Mrs. Ivanova has sent us; the Ambassador responded to earlier letters in March and, most recently, June. The Embassy does not plan to respond to the letter, as we have answered Mrs. Ivanova's allegations repeatedly over the past ten months. ¶2. (C) The letter, and its publication, is a clear effort to drum up public support for the widow, and against the U.S. presence. News reports indicate the Prosecutor General has also forwarded a letter to the Embassy requesting information on the disposition of the case; the Embassy has not received this letter. The Deputy Foreign Minister orally requested informaton on the case October 31. ¶3. (C) Until the U.S. is able to provide to the Kyrgyz government and Mrs. Ivanova the results of our investigation and the final disposition of the case, this issue will not go away. In light of Admiral Fallon's upcoming visit, where he is likely to be asked about the status of the case by senior GOKG officials, the Embassy would appreciate an update on where the investigation and disposition of the case stands. ¶4. (C) We note that Kyrygzstan has now entered a highly charged political season, with Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 16. With the one year anniversary of the shooting rapidly approaching on December 6, we suspect the public drumbeat for answers to the issues raised in Mrs Ivanova's letter will continue, and the incident could easily become a campaign issue. ¶3. (U) Begin text of letter. ATTN: Madam Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. Ambassador to KR, Prosecutor General Elmurza Satybaldiev, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ednan Karabaev FROM: Ms. M.M. Ivanova, widow of killed Ivanov (address: 24 Tunguch micro district 48, Bishkek) Statement On December 6, 2006 at 1500 Mr. Alexander Ivanov (DOB: 1964), Kyrgyz citizen, &Aircraft Petrol Management8 Ltd driver, was shot at Manas International Airport for undetermined reason by Airman Zachary Hartfield, Manas AB serviceman. I was acquainted with details of the investigation of my husband,s killing, held by Main Investigative Department of MoI of Kyrgyz Republic on March 9, 2007. Despite numerous commitments on cooperation of American Embassy and the airbase in the investigation, they remained nothing more than just commitments. On December 7, 2006 the President of KR has ordered to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start revising parts of Note #542 (December 4, 2001) from the U.S. Embassy regarding the BISHKEK 00001335 002.2 OF 002 status of the military servicemen. The head of the state logically thinks: it makes sense that military servicemen remaining in the territory of Kyrgyzstan will face responsibility according to laws of the republic, in case of illegal actions. But, so far, everything remains on the paper, or rather under bureaucratic cloth. Jogorku Kenesh of KR has assigned the cabinet through a decree to revise the conditions regarding the status and order of presence of military and civil personnel on the territory of KR in the Agreement between KR and US on Temporary Dislocation of US military Contingent, ratified by the law #110 (December 14, 2001); demanded from the US government to hand over Zachary Hatfield, US Air force servicemen at &Manas8 international airbase, to KR law enforcement bodies to take investigative actions within this case; assigned them to demand from the American side to provide KR law enforcement bodies with results of expert investigation on blood and hair taken from Hatfield, also, organize hand over of the pistol &Beretta8, from which shots were made, for ballistic tests; review viability of &Manas8 airbase presence on the territory of KR; provide compensatory payments to the Ivanov family from the guilty side. General Prosecutor,s office was assigned to provide Jogoroku Kenesh with a detailed report on proceeds of the investigation, initiated on this incident. Later 5 (!) committees of JK met to discuss the issue of control over the investigation by GP office and MFA. However, I have not received any answer whether American side has provided with a final report on killing of my husband.8 Therefore I request written response regarding the current status of that case. ¶M. Ivanova // SIGNED // End text of letter. YOVANOVITCH