Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT58
2008-01-14 10:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR LUGAR RAISES RFE/RL
how-toVZCZCXRO1205 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0058 0141042 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 141042Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0059 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3235 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1050 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0921 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1498 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1376 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2100
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000058
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, R, DRL
PRAGUE PLEASE PASS TO RFE/RL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR LUGAR RAISES RFE/RL
TURKMEN JOURNALISTS' HARASSMENT WITH PRESIDENT
BERDIMUHAMEDOV
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000058
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, R, DRL
PRAGUE PLEASE PASS TO RFE/RL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR LUGAR RAISES RFE/RL
TURKMEN JOURNALISTS' HARASSMENT WITH PRESIDENT
BERDIMUHAMEDOV
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) On January 11, just before the arrival of SFRC
Minority Chairman Senator Richard Lugar, Post received e-mail
documentation of harassment by Turkmen authorities of three
Turkmenistan citizens who report for RFE/RL. Post prepared
the information as a non-paper (text in para four below),and
Senator Lugar agreed to raise the problem with President
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
3. (SBU) Later that day, at the end of a cordial and open
75-minute meeting (other issues reported septel),Senator
Lugar raised the issue and passed President Berdimuhamedov
the non-paper. The president seemed genuinely unaware and
said he would look into it. Post will continue to monitor
the journalists' situations to see if the harassment abates.
4. (SBU) Begin text of non-paper:
The U.S. Government has received information that three
journalists from Radio Liberty are facing harassment by local
authorities.
We ask that President Berdimuhamedov, in line with his
support for new openness and a desire to meet international
standards of democracy and human rights, take a personal
interest to insure that these three journalists are able to
work without harassment and fear of retribution.
OSMANKULY HALLIYEV: On December 21, 2007, officers of the
Lebap Province police department demanded that Halliyev stop
his work with Azatlyk Radio (Radio Liberty). The police
officers allegedly told him that "he and his family would
suffer if he continues reporting for RFE/RL." Since that
time, his house has been under constant surveillance. On
January 7, 2008, local police officials sent Halliyev's
brothers and sisters a letter requesting that they go to the
MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) local office to answer
questions. He believes that he will be detained if he leaves
his home.
SOLTAN ACHILOVA: On December 7, 2007, Soltan Achilova, a
resident of Ashgabat, received a phone call from the Ministry
of National Security (MNB),requesting that she appear for
questioning by the head of a department. Later, a police
official came to her house with an official letter, but she
did not accept it, because she was not given a reason. She
is concerned that she will be detained if she goes to the MVD
(Ministry of Interior) office.
GURBANGULY DURDIKULIYEV: People claiming to be physicians
recently visited Gurbanguly Durdikuliyev, an RFE/RL reporter
in Balkanabat, to remind him that he had been on a list of
psychiatric clinic patients and demanded that he stop working
for RFE/RL. His telephone has been blocked since January 4,
and RFE/RL has been unable to reach him.
End text of non-paper.
5. (U) CODEL Lugar did not have an opportunity to clear this
cable but authorized its transmission.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, R, DRL
PRAGUE PLEASE PASS TO RFE/RL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR LUGAR RAISES RFE/RL
TURKMEN JOURNALISTS' HARASSMENT WITH PRESIDENT
BERDIMUHAMEDOV
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) On January 11, just before the arrival of SFRC
Minority Chairman Senator Richard Lugar, Post received e-mail
documentation of harassment by Turkmen authorities of three
Turkmenistan citizens who report for RFE/RL. Post prepared
the information as a non-paper (text in para four below),and
Senator Lugar agreed to raise the problem with President
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
3. (SBU) Later that day, at the end of a cordial and open
75-minute meeting (other issues reported septel),Senator
Lugar raised the issue and passed President Berdimuhamedov
the non-paper. The president seemed genuinely unaware and
said he would look into it. Post will continue to monitor
the journalists' situations to see if the harassment abates.
4. (SBU) Begin text of non-paper:
The U.S. Government has received information that three
journalists from Radio Liberty are facing harassment by local
authorities.
We ask that President Berdimuhamedov, in line with his
support for new openness and a desire to meet international
standards of democracy and human rights, take a personal
interest to insure that these three journalists are able to
work without harassment and fear of retribution.
OSMANKULY HALLIYEV: On December 21, 2007, officers of the
Lebap Province police department demanded that Halliyev stop
his work with Azatlyk Radio (Radio Liberty). The police
officers allegedly told him that "he and his family would
suffer if he continues reporting for RFE/RL." Since that
time, his house has been under constant surveillance. On
January 7, 2008, local police officials sent Halliyev's
brothers and sisters a letter requesting that they go to the
MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) local office to answer
questions. He believes that he will be detained if he leaves
his home.
SOLTAN ACHILOVA: On December 7, 2007, Soltan Achilova, a
resident of Ashgabat, received a phone call from the Ministry
of National Security (MNB),requesting that she appear for
questioning by the head of a department. Later, a police
official came to her house with an official letter, but she
did not accept it, because she was not given a reason. She
is concerned that she will be detained if she goes to the MVD
(Ministry of Interior) office.
GURBANGULY DURDIKULIYEV: People claiming to be physicians
recently visited Gurbanguly Durdikuliyev, an RFE/RL reporter
in Balkanabat, to remind him that he had been on a list of
psychiatric clinic patients and demanded that he stop working
for RFE/RL. His telephone has been blocked since January 4,
and RFE/RL has been unable to reach him.
End text of non-paper.
5. (U) CODEL Lugar did not have an opportunity to clear this
cable but authorized its transmission.
HOAGLAND