RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DEPORTED FROM

UNCLAS BISHKEK 001218 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KG SUBJECT: RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DEPORTED FROM KYRGYZSTAN REF: A. BISHKEK 154 ¶B. BISHKEK 511 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) On November 18, Bakhrom Hamroev, an ethnic Uzbek, Russian citizen human rights activist working for the Russian human rights center Memorial, was detained by the Kyrgyz National Security Service (SNB) and deported to Russia. The authorities also detained and later released Osh-based, Izzatilla Rakhmatillaev, head of the local human rights organization, Law and Order. The two activists were researching allegations of torture and human rights violations against ethnic Uzbeks deemed to be "religious extremists and terrorists" by the local authorities, particularly those convicted in connection with the Nookat riots (Ref a). The activists had conducted interviews with the families of individuals accused of having ties to Hizb-ut Tahrir and convicted of incitement of mass disorder, attempted disruption of the constitutional order, and attempted spread of ethnic and religious hatred (Ref b). ¶2. (SBU) According to Aziza Abdurasulova of the human rights group Kylym Shamy and Kubat Otorbaev, director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Hamroev and Rakhmatillaev were meeting with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Uzbek Service stringer Sherzod Usupov, when they were detained. The authorities did not detain Usupov. Abdurasulova said that the rights activists were held overnight and interrogated twice during the night. Hamroev's camera, mobile phone, and computer equipment were confiscated and not returned. The activists told Abdurasulova that they had "been treated well and were not going to file complaints of abuse". Both were released the next day and, while the authorities deported Hamroev back to Russia, they did not file criminal charges against Rakhmatillaev. ¶3. (U) Comment: Hamroev has previously visited Kyrgyzstan for his human rights work with Memorial. According to the Russian press, Hamroev organized a protest at the Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow on October 20 demanding the resignation of the head of the Kyrgyz SNB. That would seem the likely explanation for his detention by the SNB and expulsion from the country on his next visit. Of course, such actions by the SNB are reprehensible, and we will seek opportunities to make that point to our interlocutors in the Kyrgyz Government. GFOELLER