US embassy cable - 05ALMATY3107

UNCLAS  ALMATY 003107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (J.MUDGE), DRL/PHD (C. KUCHTA- 
HELBLING) 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, EAID, KZ, POLITICAL 
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: HUMAN RIGHTS BUREAU ROBBED 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  An August 14 robbery of the Kazakhstani 
International Bureau for Human Rights resulted in the loss 
of almost all the organization's databases and temporarily 
crippled its work.  Emergency grants and post's donation of 
ten excess computers are helping KIBHR get back up and 
running.  Although it is not possible to rule out a 
straightforward robbery, the nature of the items stolen 
points toward possible political motivation.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Office Burglarized, Computers Stolen 
------------------------------------ 
 
2. (U) The Kazakhstani International Bureau for Human Rights 
(KIBHR), headed by noted activist Yevgeniy Zhovtis, was 
burglarized during the night of August 14.  The thieves 
sawed through iron bars covering the windows on the 
courtyard side of the building, then kicked in locked 
internal doors to gain access to several rooms.  The local 
police and internal affairs officials are investigating. 
They have yet to identify any suspects. 
 
3. (SBU) During an August 17 visit to the Bureau, POEC chief 
and Pol FSN inspected the damage.  Deputy Director Zhemis 
Turmagambetova shared a list of the items that had been 
stolen, including five monitors, 12 CPUs, and two phones. 
The purchase price of the stolen items totaled 1,361,432 KZT 
(approximately $10,084).  While some complete CPUs had been 
stolen, in many cases the thieves had opened the case and 
removed only the motherboard and the hard drive. 
Turmagambetova noted that the loss of information was the 
most serious blow; the thieves appeared to focus on machines 
containing human rights advocacy information, bypassing 
other offices handling issues such as migration.  As they 
had stolen the hard drive from the main server, KIBHR had no 
way to restore the data.  Fortunately, KIBHR's accountant 
had backed up her data and kept a copy at home. 
 
---------- 
Assistance 
---------- 
 
4. (SBU) Turmagambetova stated that a _3000 emergency grant 
from the OSCE Center would be sufficient to cover their most 
immediate priorities of replacing window grills, locks, 
doors, and the accountant's computer and specialized 
software.  On August 19 post donated ten excess computers 
and five monitors through a PA grant.  KIBHR associates 
indicated that the donation would speed their ability to 
resume work.  The Soros Foundation of Kazakhstan is 
reportedly also considering a grant of $10,000. 
 
---------------------- 
Economic or Political? 
---------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) There was immediate speculation within the human 
rights community that the robbery was a politically- 
motivated effort to hamper KIBHR's effectiveness in advance 
of December 2005 presidential elections.  Turmagambetova did 
not offer a clear opinion.  She speculated that perhaps 
individuals who had visited the Bureau for counseling were 
responsible, and also appeared to lend credence to the 
investigators' theory that a traveling band of thieves 
specializing in computer equipment was behind the robbery. 
KIBHR associate Sergey Duvanov told POEC chief on August 19 
that while it was possible that this was a simple robbery, 
the fact that the burglars had left behind valuable 
equipment such as scanners and faxes, while focusing on 
computers storing key information, pointed toward political 
motivations.  He noted that the loss of case file 
information and legal reference materials would have the 
greatest impact on the Bureau's ability to advise and 
advocate on behalf of individuals.  He added, however, that 
it would in no way limit the organization's ability to speak 
out on any perceived irregularities with upcoming elections. 
 
6. (SBU) Zhovtis, who was out of the country at the time of 
the robbery, told us on August 23 that he was not sure 
whether it was politically motivated.  He too found it 
suspicious that the thieves had dismantled computers 
containing the most crucial information, rather than taking 
the entire units.  Zhovtis indicated that KIBHR was still 
 
trying to calculate the total damages and determine whether 
there are any unmet needs.  Some of the grant money is being 
used to install an alarm system. 
 
----------------------------- 
Turmagambetova to Leave KIBHR 
----------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) In discussing the robbery with POEC chief and Pol 
FSN, Turmagambetova made no effort to conceal her growing 
frustration with Zhovtis.  She shared plans to leave KIBHR 
and form a new organization called Human Rights Charter, 
which would focus on individual advocacy rather than what 
she described as Zhovtis' "harsh criticism" of GOK policy. 
(Comment: Judging by Turmagambetova's relatively positive 
assessment of GOK policy, and of President Nazarbayev in 
particular, post expects the new organization to be much 
more acceptable to the GOK than KIBHR is.  Her departure 
would not be entirely unwelcome among the donor community, 
as she is known to be difficult to work with and reluctant 
to share information.  End comment.) Clearly aware of how 
the situation appears, Turmagambetova noted bitterly that 
there were already rumors that her office at KIBHR was not 
robbed because she was a GOK "informant." 
 
8. (SBU) Comment: Burglaries are relatively uncommon in 
Almaty, particularly of offices without cash or other high- 
value items for the taking.  Given the nature of the items 
stolen and their relatively low resale value, post suspects 
that this may well have been a politically-motivated effort 
to impede KIBHR's work.  End comment. 
 
9. (U) Dushanbe minimize considered. 
 
ASQUINO 
 
 
NNNN