Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT237
2009-02-18 12:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: FEBRUARY 19 FLAG DAY HOLIDAY BRINGS
how-toVZCZCXRO5361 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0237 0491226 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 181226Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2330 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4845 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2620 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2485 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 3089 RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 3335 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000237
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FEBRUARY 19 FLAG DAY HOLIDAY BRINGS
ANOTHER PARDON LIST
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000237
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FEBRUARY 19 FLAG DAY HOLIDAY BRINGS
ANOTHER PARDON LIST
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) The February 17 issue of state-controlled newspaper
"Neytralniy Turkmenistan" reported that, during the February
16 meeting of the State Security Council, President
Berdimuhamedov signed a decree to release prisoners in honor
of the February 19 National Flag Day holiday. The Turkmen
Presidential Press Service announced that 990 prisoners were
released. The list published in the newspaper contained only
886 names. According to past practice, the names of foreign
prisoners were not included in the list. It is unclear
whether the 104 unnamed prisoners were foreigners or
prisoners that the Turkmen government did not wish to
identify publicly.
3. (SBU) None of 886 names published were prisoners of
concern, relating either to the list of those imprisoned
after the 2002 attack on former President Niyazov or to
individual human rights cases. Of the 886 names published,
803 were those of men, and 83 were those of women. The vast
majority had been jailed in 2008. Only 50 of them, or less
than six percent, were prisoners who had been sentenced
before 2008. Twenty-two of the prisoners had been serving
jail terms since 2004. Eight had been jailed since 2001, and
eight had been jailed since 2003. Only a total of twelve of
the released prisoners had been jailed during the years 1998,
1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 or 2007.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: Post studied the list carefully for the
names of former officials, prisoners of interest, or
Jehovah,s Witnesses adherents prosecuted in recent years for
refusing to do military service, but the list appears to
contain primarily the names of those jailed for petty crimes.
It is possible that some familiar names could be included
among the 104 unidentified prisoners. Previous pardons have
only included 10 or 15 unidentified persons at one time.
Post will inquire among local contacts to learn more about
the unidentified people who were released. END COMMENT.
MILES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: FEBRUARY 19 FLAG DAY HOLIDAY BRINGS
ANOTHER PARDON LIST
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) The February 17 issue of state-controlled newspaper
"Neytralniy Turkmenistan" reported that, during the February
16 meeting of the State Security Council, President
Berdimuhamedov signed a decree to release prisoners in honor
of the February 19 National Flag Day holiday. The Turkmen
Presidential Press Service announced that 990 prisoners were
released. The list published in the newspaper contained only
886 names. According to past practice, the names of foreign
prisoners were not included in the list. It is unclear
whether the 104 unnamed prisoners were foreigners or
prisoners that the Turkmen government did not wish to
identify publicly.
3. (SBU) None of 886 names published were prisoners of
concern, relating either to the list of those imprisoned
after the 2002 attack on former President Niyazov or to
individual human rights cases. Of the 886 names published,
803 were those of men, and 83 were those of women. The vast
majority had been jailed in 2008. Only 50 of them, or less
than six percent, were prisoners who had been sentenced
before 2008. Twenty-two of the prisoners had been serving
jail terms since 2004. Eight had been jailed since 2001, and
eight had been jailed since 2003. Only a total of twelve of
the released prisoners had been jailed during the years 1998,
1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 or 2007.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: Post studied the list carefully for the
names of former officials, prisoners of interest, or
Jehovah,s Witnesses adherents prosecuted in recent years for
refusing to do military service, but the list appears to
contain primarily the names of those jailed for petty crimes.
It is possible that some familiar names could be included
among the 104 unidentified prisoners. Previous pardons have
only included 10 or 15 unidentified persons at one time.
Post will inquire among local contacts to learn more about
the unidentified people who were released. END COMMENT.
MILES