TURKMENISTAN: PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES INCREASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000434 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2019 TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES INCREASE PRESSURE ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES REF: A. ASHGABAT 300 ¶B. ASHGABAT 322 ASHGABAT 00000434 001.5 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A recent meeting with a leader of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ashgabat confirmed that its adherents in the provinces have seen a recent uptick in harassment, including raids and seizures of religious literature. While the situation in the provinces is particularly tough due to poorly trained police, the group's leader suggested that the increased frequency of incidents was the government's response to the group's pending application for registration. Despite this latest round of difficulties, the leader confirmed that group's members will continue their activities. END SUMMARY INCIDENT IN DASHOGUZ ¶2. (C) On April 6, poloff met with Jehovah's Witness leader Andrey Zhbanov in Ashgabat to discuss the reported seizure of a Jehovah's Witness' computer and religious materials in Dashoguz. According to a letter of complaint addressed to the Dashoguz City Procuracy, a copy of which was received at the Embassy on April 2, officials from the National Security Ministry ("MNB"),local police and local council for religious affairs ("CRA") seized Jehovah's Witness adherent Davran Kushmanov's computer and Jehovah's Witness publications from his home on March 9. He had been called to the main MTC (mobile phone company) office by his uncle, but upon arriving, was met by MNB and police officials, who brought Kushmanov to the provincial government headquarters. In his absence from home, said officials threatened his mother, with whom he lives, with losing her job and confiscation of her apartment and car if she did not give them access to the apartment. It was at that time that the items were seized. In his discussion with Kushmanov, the MNB official reportedly said the "instead of being a Jehovah's Witness and studying the Bible, it would be better if you sold narcotics." RAID IN TURKMENABAT ¶3. (C) Zhbanov confirmed Kushmanov's account of the seizure of the computer and printed materials. According to Zhbanov, there are many Jehovah's Witnesses in Dashoguz. It was possible that Kushmanov was more outspoken then other adherents and that was why he was singled out for such treatment. Zhbanov said the Jehovah Witnesses preach on the streets and that local officials know them all and follow them. Zhbanov then shared a copy of a complaint, addressed to President Berdimuhamedov and the General Procurator, that complained of a March 29 raid on the home of a Jehovah's Witness in Turkmenabat. Shirindzhan Bazarova had invited her sister, other friends and their children to her home as guests. Five or six strangers burst into her home, pushed people out of their way, and conducted a search, seizing personal identity documents and religious literature. Everyone was taken to the police precinct where they were questioned about why they had gathered at Bazarova's home. After three hours, they were allowed to leave. The police precinct chief accused the group of performing religious rituals of the banned Jehovah's Witnesses. According to Bazarova, they had gathered as friends to have lunch together. HARRASSMENT IN ANAU AND ASHGABAT ¶4. (C) Zhbanov described a third recent incident in the town of Anau, about seven miles from Ashgabat. On March 24, a Jehovah's Witness was summoned to the local police precinct to discuss, he was told, an issue with his residence permit. When he was told to wait for a security official, imam and representative of the local council on religious affairs to arrive, he left the police precinct and went home. The ASHGABAT 00000434 002.2 OF 002 police chief later returned, entered the house through a window, grabbed him and took him to a meeting at the mayor's office with the above-mentioned officials. He was accused of being a Jehovah's Witness, after which they had a discussion and he was allowed to leave. ¶5. (C) According to Zhbanov, incidents such as police raids had not occurred for a long time. In Ashgabat, Jehovah's Witnesses are able to meet in small groups without incident. However, at the end of March, two Jehovah's Witnesses who spoke on the phone and arranged a meeting in Ashgabat were detained by police at the meeting point. The police seized a Bible, New Testament and religious articles. The two young female Jehovah's Witnesses then had a conversation for an hour with an imam and a representative from the local council for religious affairs, after which they were allowed to go. Zhbanov said such "small disturbances" happen often in the course of their proseltyzing, an activity that Zhbanov insists is not illegal. GOVERNMENT WILL DELAY DECISION ON REGISTRATION ¶6. (C) Explaining the recently stepped-up pressure on the Jehovah's Witnesses, Zhbanov thought it was the government's answer to the group's request for registration submitted on August 21, 2008. He suggested that the government would delay its decision on registration indefinitely. He noted the situation is tougher in the provinces. Police are uninformed about the law. Moreover, he suspected that there might be some kind of reward offered to police who seize Jehovah's Witness literature, although he had no proof of this. He said in Ashgabat there are occasional problems, but less -- due to better trained police and the presence of embassies and international organizations. Zhbanov asserted that the Jehovah's Witnesses are undeterred by these latest problems, saying "we will struggle to the end." He also noted that, compared to the arrests and beatings that occurred in 1996 and subsequent years, the current situation is "calm." ¶7. (C) COMMENT: As these incidents indicate, the unregistered Jehovah's Witnesses continue to suffer restrictions on their basic right to practice their religious beliefs. While registration would not be a panacea, it would allow its adherents to at least meet in groups legally. However, Zhbanov's sense that registration would not come soon is probably accurate, given the government's difficulty accepting the Jehovah's Witnesses' aggressive proselytizing and rejection of military service and blood transfusions. END COMMENT. MILES