CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST THREE DEUTSCHE WELLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001095

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV GM UZ
SUBJECT: CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST THREE DEUTSCHE WELLE
REPORTERS

REF: A. TASHKENT 792

B. 06 TASHKENT 512

Classified By: CDA BRAD HANSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) Summary: German Poloff Uwe Berndt confirmed a June 5
Ferghana.ru report that the Tashkent City General
Prosecutor's Office dropped charges against three Deutsche
Welle correspondents: Yuri Chernogayev, Sayyora Rozikulova
and Obid Shabanov. The three were charged with working
without a license. Berndt said charges remain against a
fourth Deutsche Welle correspondent, Natalya Bushuyeva, who
fled Uzbekistan in March and now resides in Bishkek. The
decision to drop charges does not indicate that the
Government is easing its long campaign against independent
journalists, but rather shows an effort to improve relations
with Europe despite the EU's recent decision to renew
sanctions. End summary.


2. (C) On June 5, the website Ferghana.ru reported that
charges had been dropped against three Deutsche Welle
stringers in Uzbekistan: Yuri Chernogayev, Sayyora
Rozikulova, and Obid Shabanov. The three were charged in
April with working without a license under Article 190 of the
criminal code (ref A). The law, which came into effect last
year, prohibits journalists from working for foreign media
outlets without accreditation (ref B).


3. (C) German Embassy political officer Uwe Berndt confirmed
that the General Prosecutor's Office dropped charges against
the three journalists. He said the charges against
Chernogayev, which included tax evasion, were the most
serious and could have landed him in jail for up to ten
years. Berndt said the General Prosecutor's Office has not
officially announced its decision to drop charges yet and may
do so on June 8. He expects the correspondents will be
forced to sign papers promising not to talk about the case.
The German Ambassador also confirmed to Charge on June 7 that
there was nothing in writing yet dropping the charges.


4. (C) Berndt said charges of tax evasion and working without
a license remain against a fourth Deutsche Welle stringer,
Natalya Bushuyeva. After being the first journalist charged
under Article 190 on March 23, Bushuyeva fled Uzbekistan for
Bishkek, where she registered as an asylum seeker (ref A).
According to Berndt, Bushuyeva is still in Bishkek.


5. (C) Comment: The charges against the four Deutsche Welle
correspondents are politically motivated and aimed at closing
the last remaining Western media organization in Uzbekistan.
Especially considering that serious charges remain against
Bushuyeva, the dropping of the criminal case against the
other correspondents does not indicate that the Government is
easing its long campaign against Western and independent
journalists. Rather, it suggests that the Government still
seeks to improve relations with the EU and especially
Germany, despite its recent decision to renew sanctions, and
hopes this gesture will help.
HANSON