Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT866
2008-07-10 12:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: DASHOGUZ RELIGIOUS GROUP TWO STEPS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000866
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DASHOGUZ RELIGIOUS GROUP TWO STEPS
FURTHER IN REGISTRATION PROCESS
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4(b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000866
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DASHOGUZ RELIGIOUS GROUP TWO STEPS
FURTHER IN REGISTRATION PROCESS
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4(b),(d)
1. (C) Shokhrat Shirmedov, a leader of the Turkmen Baptist
Church in Dashoguz, told EmbOff on July 10 that both the
local provincial Council on Religious Affairs (CRA) office
and the central CRA office in Ashgabat had informed him about
two and a half months ago that they had approved the church's
application for registration and that the application would
be forwarded for the final approval to the Ministry of
Justice. Shirmedov said that the provincial officials were
predicting that the church would shortly be receiving its
registration papers. However, the Ministry of Justice
returned the application about a month ago with a list of new
"corrections" to the registration application that would need
to be made before it would be willing to reconsider the
church's application. While frustrated, Shirmedov -- who
until a week ago was traveling in Kazakhstan -- plans to meet
with the Deputy Chairman of the national CRA to solicit his
advice. He also plans to write a letter to the Chairman of
the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Shirin
Akhmedova, asking for her assistance.
2. (C) Shirmedov reported that, over the last year, his
church has changed its strategy in working with the
provincial CRA. It now sends the office notice of any
activities ahead of time -- as it would have to do anyway if
it were registered -- and has taken to meeting in smaller
groups to draw less attention to the church. The result, he
said, is that the church's relations with the provincial CRA
have improved and there has been less harassment of church
members than used to be the case. However, he added, it is
clear that the authorities still continue to monitor the
church and its leaders, albeit less openly.
3. (C) COMMENT: Post believes that the church's efforts to
improve its relations with the local authorities may be one
of the reasons that it is experiencing less harassment and --
apparently -- more support for its registration efforts from
the local CRA. While the church remains unregistered, it's
notable there has been no recent harassment of its members
and Shirmedov himself seems to be experiencing no
difficulties traveling abroad. Just a bit more than a year
ago, the church was reeling from a raid on its pastor
(Shirmedov's father) and an episode in which a suspected
Ministry of National Security plain-clothes policeman
absconded with Shirmedov's papers while he was traveling
internally. We hope that the Ministry of Justice will agree
soon to register Shirmedov's church, but in the meantime, the
tacit understanding that the church has established with the
local CRA seems to be allowing it to proceed unhindered with
most of its activities. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: DASHOGUZ RELIGIOUS GROUP TWO STEPS
FURTHER IN REGISTRATION PROCESS
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4(b),(d)
1. (C) Shokhrat Shirmedov, a leader of the Turkmen Baptist
Church in Dashoguz, told EmbOff on July 10 that both the
local provincial Council on Religious Affairs (CRA) office
and the central CRA office in Ashgabat had informed him about
two and a half months ago that they had approved the church's
application for registration and that the application would
be forwarded for the final approval to the Ministry of
Justice. Shirmedov said that the provincial officials were
predicting that the church would shortly be receiving its
registration papers. However, the Ministry of Justice
returned the application about a month ago with a list of new
"corrections" to the registration application that would need
to be made before it would be willing to reconsider the
church's application. While frustrated, Shirmedov -- who
until a week ago was traveling in Kazakhstan -- plans to meet
with the Deputy Chairman of the national CRA to solicit his
advice. He also plans to write a letter to the Chairman of
the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Shirin
Akhmedova, asking for her assistance.
2. (C) Shirmedov reported that, over the last year, his
church has changed its strategy in working with the
provincial CRA. It now sends the office notice of any
activities ahead of time -- as it would have to do anyway if
it were registered -- and has taken to meeting in smaller
groups to draw less attention to the church. The result, he
said, is that the church's relations with the provincial CRA
have improved and there has been less harassment of church
members than used to be the case. However, he added, it is
clear that the authorities still continue to monitor the
church and its leaders, albeit less openly.
3. (C) COMMENT: Post believes that the church's efforts to
improve its relations with the local authorities may be one
of the reasons that it is experiencing less harassment and --
apparently -- more support for its registration efforts from
the local CRA. While the church remains unregistered, it's
notable there has been no recent harassment of its members
and Shirmedov himself seems to be experiencing no
difficulties traveling abroad. Just a bit more than a year
ago, the church was reeling from a raid on its pastor
(Shirmedov's father) and an episode in which a suspected
Ministry of National Security plain-clothes policeman
absconded with Shirmedov's papers while he was traveling
internally. We hope that the Ministry of Justice will agree
soon to register Shirmedov's church, but in the meantime, the
tacit understanding that the church has established with the
local CRA seems to be allowing it to proceed unhindered with
most of its activities. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND