Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASTANA1899
2009-10-21 09:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN: BLUNT TALK TO DEPUTY FOREIGN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 001899
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BLUNT TALK TO DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER ON ZHOVTIS CASE
REF: A. ASTANA 1468
B. ASTANA 1470
C. ASTANA 1487
D. ASTANA 1497
E. ASTANA 1512
F. ASTANA 1538
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 001899
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BLUNT TALK TO DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER ON ZHOVTIS CASE
REF: A. ASTANA 1468
B. ASTANA 1470
C. ASTANA 1487
D. ASTANA 1497
E. ASTANA 1512
F. ASTANA 1538
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
1. (C) On October 20, an hour after a provincial appeals
court upheld the conviction of human rights advocate Yevgeniy
Zhovtis and affirmed his four-year sentence to a penal colony
for vehicular manslaughter (septel),I pulled aside Deputy
Foreign Minister Kairat Umararov at the Slovak National Day
reception. I told him directly that this decision was a
disaster, especially coming immediately on the heels of
reports that Presidential Adviser Yermukhamed Yertysbayev had
made confrontational comments to representatives of several
Kazakhstani non-governmental organizations participating in
the OSCE's Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw,
September 28-October 9.
2. (C) I told Umarov further that I had, in good faith,
followed State Secretary-Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev's
initial advice to lay low on the Zhovtis case, after my
initial public statement following his conviction and
sentencing on September 3, and trust that the appeal would
produce a satisfactory outcome. I told Umarov bluntly that
this is all coming together to threaten everything we have
together worked on for so many months to enhance the
U.S.-Kazakhstan relationship.
3. (C) Umarov, slightly deer-in-the-headlights, initially
responded with Kazakhstan's well-rehearsed talking points:
all are equal under the law, Zhovtis killed a Kazakhstani
citizen and must now pay the normal price like every other
citizen who is equal under the law, the Kazakhstani judicial
system is professional and independent. I didn't argue the
fine points of the case. I told Umarov, "Kairat, everyone
knows, although we normally don't say it directly because of
diplomatic discretion, that your court system is corrupted by
political influence. This kind of thing endangers what your
president says he wants in the bilateral relationship."
Umarov suggestedm "This will blow over." I replied, "No, it
won't. It will be a long-lasting dark spot."
4. (C) Umarov tried again with the approved talking points.
I responded, "Washington, Brussels, and the separate European
capitals are buzzing with criticism of Kazakhstan. Your very
real and positive good intentions easily get overwhelmed by
this kind of old-guard, Soviet-style idiocy. Your boss
(Saudabayev) needs to hear this."
5. (C) I asked Umarov whom I could see on October 21 to pass
on this message. Now glum, Umarov told me that Saudabayev
would be tied up in the morning with the OSCE ambassadors'
delegation and then would fly off to join President
Nazarbayev in Turkey. Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin
Zhigalov, whose portfolio includes OSCE, is traveling. And
Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser Kairat Sarybay is also
out of the country.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BLUNT TALK TO DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER ON ZHOVTIS CASE
REF: A. ASTANA 1468
B. ASTANA 1470
C. ASTANA 1487
D. ASTANA 1497
E. ASTANA 1512
F. ASTANA 1538
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
1. (C) On October 20, an hour after a provincial appeals
court upheld the conviction of human rights advocate Yevgeniy
Zhovtis and affirmed his four-year sentence to a penal colony
for vehicular manslaughter (septel),I pulled aside Deputy
Foreign Minister Kairat Umararov at the Slovak National Day
reception. I told him directly that this decision was a
disaster, especially coming immediately on the heels of
reports that Presidential Adviser Yermukhamed Yertysbayev had
made confrontational comments to representatives of several
Kazakhstani non-governmental organizations participating in
the OSCE's Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw,
September 28-October 9.
2. (C) I told Umarov further that I had, in good faith,
followed State Secretary-Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev's
initial advice to lay low on the Zhovtis case, after my
initial public statement following his conviction and
sentencing on September 3, and trust that the appeal would
produce a satisfactory outcome. I told Umarov bluntly that
this is all coming together to threaten everything we have
together worked on for so many months to enhance the
U.S.-Kazakhstan relationship.
3. (C) Umarov, slightly deer-in-the-headlights, initially
responded with Kazakhstan's well-rehearsed talking points:
all are equal under the law, Zhovtis killed a Kazakhstani
citizen and must now pay the normal price like every other
citizen who is equal under the law, the Kazakhstani judicial
system is professional and independent. I didn't argue the
fine points of the case. I told Umarov, "Kairat, everyone
knows, although we normally don't say it directly because of
diplomatic discretion, that your court system is corrupted by
political influence. This kind of thing endangers what your
president says he wants in the bilateral relationship."
Umarov suggestedm "This will blow over." I replied, "No, it
won't. It will be a long-lasting dark spot."
4. (C) Umarov tried again with the approved talking points.
I responded, "Washington, Brussels, and the separate European
capitals are buzzing with criticism of Kazakhstan. Your very
real and positive good intentions easily get overwhelmed by
this kind of old-guard, Soviet-style idiocy. Your boss
(Saudabayev) needs to hear this."
5. (C) I asked Umarov whom I could see on October 21 to pass
on this message. Now glum, Umarov told me that Saudabayev
would be tied up in the morning with the OSCE ambassadors'
delegation and then would fly off to join President
Nazarbayev in Turkey. Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin
Zhigalov, whose portfolio includes OSCE, is traveling. And
Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser Kairat Sarybay is also
out of the country.
HOAGLAND