VZCZCXRO4047
OO RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0178/01 0271025
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271025Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6544
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1342
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1376
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1381
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1311
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1252
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1343
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1285
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1248
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1144
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM FP MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1398
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0917
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1431
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 7629

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/RUS, DRL 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  1/27/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PROP KDEM RS TI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PROTESTS SECURITY MINISTRY CRACK-DOWN ON NDI 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard E. Hoagland, Ambassador, EXEC, Embassy 
Dushanbe. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  On January 27, the Ambassador forcefully 
protested to Foreign Minister Nazarov the Security Ministry's 
recent crackdown on the National Democratic Insitute in 
Dushanbe.  Nazarov agreed to intervene with the Minister of 
Security and to bring the problem to President Rahmonov's 
attention.  We will follow this closely until the issues are 
resolved.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
¶2.  (C) In the wake of the "color revolutions" and propaganda 
from Moscow that U.S. democracy NGOs in cahoots with 
intelligence agencies fomented them, the Government of 
Tajikistan reined in National Democratic Institute (NDI).  The 
Ministry of Justice, reportedly on instructions from the 
Ministry of Security, has consistently refused to register NDI, 
and AmCit directors have been unable to obtain visas, except for 
brief visits for internal management reviews.  Nevertheless, NDI 
continued to work in Tajikistan with CIS-citizen directors and 
worked openly with all legal political parties, including 
President Rahmonov's Peoples Democratic Party.  Current NDI 
Director Gegham Sargsyan, an Amenian citizen, regularly renewed 
his accreditation with the Ministry of Interior's Office of Visa 
and Foreign Registration (OVIR) to live and work in Tajikistan. 
 
¶3.  (C) When Sargsyan's residency registration was due to expire 
in January, OVIR refused to renew it because he worked for an 
international NGO.  They advised him to go to the Foreign 
Ministry.  The Foreign Ministry's Consular Section  declined to 
register him as well, because the Ministry of Justice has not 
registered NDI.  On January 23, the Ambassador raised this issue 
with Foreign Minister Nazarov, who said he would look into it. 
On January 24, the Ambassador again raised the problem with 
First Deputy Foreign Minister Yatimov, who suggested that NDI 
needs to be legally registered but agreed to consult with 
Foreign Minister Nazarov. 
 
¶4.  (C) On January 26, Sargsyan asked to see the Ambassador 
urgently.  With an expired residency registration, he is now 
technically in Tajikistan illegally.  He had gone to the Foreign 
Ministry three times, to no avail, and he feared he could be 
arrested if he stayed much longer.  Further, he reported that 
Ministry of Security officers have been severely harassing his 
local staff, both program and technical support workers like 
drivers, calling them to rooms in the Hotel Tajikistan and 
intensively interrogating them to "reveal NDI's secrets." 
Security Ministry officials have also been calling family 
members of NDI employees and their professors, if they are 
students, threatening "consequences" if the employees do not 
cooperate. 
 
THIS MUST STOP 
 
¶5.  (C) The Ambassador asked urgently to see Foreign Minister 
Nazarov at OOB on January 27.  He noted that he had reluctantly 
accepted the previous "compromise" allowing NDI to remain 
unregistered and without AmCit directors but continuing to work. 
 However, it appears that compromise has now broken down. 
Further, it is outrageous and unacceptable that the Ministry of 
Security is pressuring the Tajik citizens who work at NDI.  This 
is reminiscent of the KGB excesses of the Soviet Period.  While 
this is now unfortunately the norm in Uzbekistan, it is unworthy 
for Tajikistan to behave like this.  The Ambassador reminded the 
Foreign Minister that NDI has a powerful constituency in 
Washington, and Tajikistan's actions against this organization 
 
DUSHANBE 00000178  002 OF 002 
 
 
risk harming the generally positive U.S.-Tajikistan relationship. 
 
¶6.  (C) The Ambassador added he is aware that Moscow is leading 
the charge against Western democracy and human rights 
organizations and, further, seeks to limit the U.S. presence in 
Tajikistan.  Dushanbe should not fall into this trap.  We know 
that President Rahmonov's foreign policy is "open-door," but 
continued harassment of NDI is slamming the door on U.S. 
fingers.  Tajikistan certainly cannot want that perception.  The 
Ambassador appealed to Foreign Minister Nazarov to help him 
solve this problem. 
 
MAYBE ROGUES ARE OVER-FULFILLING THE PLAN? 
 
¶7.  (C) Nazarov responded that he would contact Minister of 
Security Abdurahimov immediately to ask what was going on.  He 
also said that he would bring the issue to President Rahmonov's 
attention.  He was sure there would be a solution in the coming 
week.  Nazarov commented that sometimes individual officials 
"over-fulfill the plan," to try to curry favor with their 
bosses.  It could be that rogue officers were behind the NDI 
problems.  To illustrate this, he recounted that several years 
ago, a Ministry of Security officer had invited "a young woman 
from the British Embassy" to the Foreign Ministry and had 
"questioned her inappropriately."  When Nazarov found out about 
this, he'd raised hell with the Minister of Security and put a 
stop to it.  Nazarov assured the Ambassador that harassment of 
NDI is not Government of Tajikistan policy, and he stated 
explicitly, "OVIR is violating the law." 
 
¶8.  (C) Nazarov volunteered that the recent problem with BBC 
losing its license to broadcast from Dushanbe was a result of 
unilateral - and illegal - action by the new director of radio 
and television broadcasting.  This kind of freelancing causes 
international problems for Tajikistan, and the President is well 
aware of it. 
 
¶9.  (C) Three hours after the meeting, Foreign Minister Nazarov 
telephoned the Ambassador.  He said he'd spoken with Minister of 
Security Abdurahimov who denied any knowledge of the NDI issue 
but said he would speak with his officers to get to the bottom 
of the problem.  The Ambassador thanked Nazarov for his quick 
action at a very busy time, but reminded him that the problem 
has to be solved, not just looked into. 
 
¶10.  (C) COMMENT:  NDI's problems in Dushanbe coincide more or 
less with the recent "British spy scandal" in Moscow and 
President Putin directly linking Western espionage to democracy 
and human rights NGOs.  We note that intelligence officers from 
the Russian Embassy have nearly free run at the Ministry of 
Security.  By making a forceful protest to the Foreign Minister, 
who will undoubtedly inform President Rahmonov, we hope that NDI 
in Dushanbe can return to the status quo ante.  However, we will 
watch closely and not let up the pressure until Sargsyan is 
legally registered and harassment against NDI's Tajik employees 
stops.  END COMMENT 
HOAGLAND