DUSHANBE: OSCE HUMAN DIMENSIONS MEETING DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001349 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ECON OSCE TI SUBJECT: DUSHANBE: OSCE HUMAN DIMENSIONS MEETING DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: State 126089 ¶1. (U) Embassy Delivered reftel demarche to the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for America and Europe, Ismatullo Nasreddinov, on September 20. Nasreddinov said that Tajikistan would send its Presidential Adviser on Social Issues, Mansur Saffidinov, to the conference along with representatives from the ministries of Justice and Interior. ¶2. (U) In response to the specific points made in the demarche, Nasreddinov claimed that recent forcible mosque closures were "strictly for sanitary and safety reasons," and that these mosques would be registered and reopened in due course. He also denied that any mosques had been demolished. Nasreddinov did not offer substantive feedback to the other issues in the demarche. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Contrary to what Nasreddinov said, the embassy has learned from various sources, including from local media, that authorities have demolished four mosques in Dushanbe. Other government officials have floated the following circular rationale on mosque closures: Since the government hasn't registered these mosques that we closed, we haven't closed any mosques. End comment. JACOBSON