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