Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT993
2008-07-30 13:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: FOUR JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ADHERENTS
how-toVZCZCXRO9476 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #0993 2121336 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 301336Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1264 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4096 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1911 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1776 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2345 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0843 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2742 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000993
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL, IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FOUR JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ADHERENTS
BEATEN AND INTERROGATED IN BALKANABAT
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000993
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL, IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FOUR JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ADHERENTS
BEATEN AND INTERROGATED IN BALKANABAT
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Senior Jehovah's Witness representative Andrei
Zhbanov confirmed to POLOFF July 30 that a police raid on the
apartment of a Jehovah's Witness adherent in Balkanabat had
taken place on May 6. As also reported in a press release
issued by the religious organization's headquarters in New
York, local police and possibly MNB personnel broke into the
apartment where four Jehovah's Witnesses were staying and
interrogated and beat each person as they arrived home.
Zhbanov said that three of the individuals were visiting the
primary occupant of the apartment and permanently reside in
other provincial towns.
2. (C) Three unidentified officials, who the men came to
believe were MNB officers, interrogated each of the
individuals about their activities and beat each of them on
the head, abdomen and legs, in part with a belt. The four
individuals were then taken to an unidentified detention
facility. They were beaten again, interrogated, and officers
attempted to force them to say "I am a Muslim." Ultimately,
the four all provided written and signed narratives regarding
their detention and the confiscation of their belongings,
including a personal computer, documents, and money. They
all signed statements denying any grievance against the
police, as well as a statement providing basic details
regarding the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses and paid
fines amounting to $88 each.
3. (C) The men were then moved to the Atamurat District
police station, where they spent the night in detention
without charge. After a city court fined the four men, they
were released. Zhbanov said the men took photographs of
their injuries caused by the beatings and sent them to the
Jehovah's Witnesses' offices in New York.
4. (C) Zhbanov said that in spite of this and other cases
of harassment this year, in August, the Jehovah's Witnesses
plan to submit an application and relevant documents for the
group's registration to the Council on Religious Affairs.
This is the first time they have attempted registration in
two years. The organization's previous application was
rejected based on a series of grammatical errors, and an
administrator at the Council had verbally told Zhbanov that
the organization would have had a better chance of
registration if it had dropped its policy of conscientious
objection to compulsory military service.
5. (C) COMMENT: Historically, Jehovah's Witness adherents
here have probably experienced more frequent and severe
harassment than most unregistered groups. Suspicion and
dislike for the organization appears to extend beyond
standard cultural biases, possibly due to its practice of
open proselytizing. This case in particular may have come
about as a result of a tip-off to local authorities that the
primary apartment resident was hosting three men from other
towns. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL, IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FOUR JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ADHERENTS
BEATEN AND INTERROGATED IN BALKANABAT
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Senior Jehovah's Witness representative Andrei
Zhbanov confirmed to POLOFF July 30 that a police raid on the
apartment of a Jehovah's Witness adherent in Balkanabat had
taken place on May 6. As also reported in a press release
issued by the religious organization's headquarters in New
York, local police and possibly MNB personnel broke into the
apartment where four Jehovah's Witnesses were staying and
interrogated and beat each person as they arrived home.
Zhbanov said that three of the individuals were visiting the
primary occupant of the apartment and permanently reside in
other provincial towns.
2. (C) Three unidentified officials, who the men came to
believe were MNB officers, interrogated each of the
individuals about their activities and beat each of them on
the head, abdomen and legs, in part with a belt. The four
individuals were then taken to an unidentified detention
facility. They were beaten again, interrogated, and officers
attempted to force them to say "I am a Muslim." Ultimately,
the four all provided written and signed narratives regarding
their detention and the confiscation of their belongings,
including a personal computer, documents, and money. They
all signed statements denying any grievance against the
police, as well as a statement providing basic details
regarding the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses and paid
fines amounting to $88 each.
3. (C) The men were then moved to the Atamurat District
police station, where they spent the night in detention
without charge. After a city court fined the four men, they
were released. Zhbanov said the men took photographs of
their injuries caused by the beatings and sent them to the
Jehovah's Witnesses' offices in New York.
4. (C) Zhbanov said that in spite of this and other cases
of harassment this year, in August, the Jehovah's Witnesses
plan to submit an application and relevant documents for the
group's registration to the Council on Religious Affairs.
This is the first time they have attempted registration in
two years. The organization's previous application was
rejected based on a series of grammatical errors, and an
administrator at the Council had verbally told Zhbanov that
the organization would have had a better chance of
registration if it had dropped its policy of conscientious
objection to compulsory military service.
5. (C) COMMENT: Historically, Jehovah's Witness adherents
here have probably experienced more frequent and severe
harassment than most unregistered groups. Suspicion and
dislike for the organization appears to extend beyond
standard cultural biases, possibly due to its practice of
open proselytizing. This case in particular may have come
about as a result of a tip-off to local authorities that the
primary apartment resident was hosting three men from other
towns. END COMMENT.
CURRAN