TURKMENISTAN: INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS CASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000598 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM TX UN SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS CASE SUBJECT BAZARGELDY BERDIYEV GOES MISSING REF: 08 ASHGABAT 01472 Classified By: Charge Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Post learned that individual human rights case subject Bazargeldy Berdiyev has been missing sincQay 9 while in possession of a letter from an international court that obliges the Turkmenistan Government to pay him and his family $7 million in damages. The family had received threatening phone calls in the days prior to his disappearance, and RFE/RL correspondent Gylychdurdiyev is postulating that the Turkmen Government intended to give little, if any of the money, to the family. Law enforcement authorities deny they are holding Berdiyev. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On May 11, poloff met with RFE/RL correspondent Halmurat Gylychdurdiyev, who had news to share regarding Bazargeldy Berdiyev (Reftel). The reporter said that on the morning of May 9, Berdiyev had gone missing after leaving his house to go make some copies. Gylychdurdiyev said that Berdiyev's family members told him that in March the family had received a letter from the International Court at The Hague. The letter indicated that as a result of a court finding, the Government of Turkmenistan was obliged to pay the Berdiyev family $7 million in compensation for lost property as well as punitive damages. Gylychdurdiyev said he had seen the letter in March, and that it instructed the Berdiyev family to go to the bank to take possession of the money. He noted, however, that the bank had been delaying paying out the sum since then. ¶3. (C) Gylychdurdiyev said the Berdiyevs told him that President Berdimuhammedov had been notified of the court's finding, and had ordered the Prosecutor General's Office to compensate the family. They claimed that the prosecutor general and the bank had worked out a plan in which the family would be paid only $2.7 million. The Prosecutor General's Office notified the family that this sum was all the two entities could afford to pay on the claim, but Gylychdurdiyev claimed that officials of the two entities had come up with a scheme to deprive the family of the remaining $4.3 million and keep it for themselves. ¶4. (C) On May 7, the Berdiyevs had received a phone call in which the caller clearly advised them to stop pursuing the money, or something bad would happen. On May 8, Gylychdurdiyev talked with UNDP project coordinator and UNHCHR affiliate Irina Liczek about the letter, and Liczek asked to see it. Post contacted Liczek, who confirmed having met with Gylychdurdiyev on May 8. He had filled her in on the basics of the case, and she said she'd asked him to bring her a copy of the letter, so that she could determine whether she could be of help. The reporter said that early the morning of May 9, Bazargeldy Berdiyev left home to make copies of the letter, and that he and the letter had disappeared. According to Gylychdurdiyev, family members made inquiries to the relevant law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement officials say they know nothing of Gylychdurdiyev's whereabouts. The reporter, however, said he believes the MNB is holding Berdiyev. As of May 12, Berdiyev was still missing. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Post was not aware that the Berdiyev family had filed an international court case. It may be that a human rights organization filed the case on their behalf. We have no concrete proof of what has happened to Berdiyev, of the letter, or the amount supposedly awarded. Post wiQ try to get more information regarding these events. END COMMENT. MILES