US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1796

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001796 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/9/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, PHUM, TI 
SUBJECT: NDI FENDS OFF RAID BY INTERIOR MINISTRY 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy 
Dushanbe, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (C)  During a National Democratic Institute (NDI) training 
program for Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) 
members, three plainclothes militia members tried to break up 
the event, calling it an "unauthorized religious gathering." 
According to NDI program directors Gegham Sargsyan and Nurul 
Rakhimbekov, the police showed their Ministry of Interior 
identification and then said NDI had failed to register the 
October 28 event with the MOI.  (NOTE:  An April 14 MFA Circular 
Note instructs NGOs to notify the MFA of meetings of more than 
10 participants, but we are unaware of any requirement to 
register any event with the MOI.  END NOTE.)  After a heated 
30-minute discussion, the police left, but continued to observe 
participants entering and exiting from the street. 
 
2.  (C)  Sargsyan and Rakhimbekov admitted they had not notified 
the MFA about the training program, but lamented they were stuck 
between a rock and a hard place due to their legal limbo.  If 
they notified the government of their event, they ran the risk 
of having the government ban any event, due to their lack of 
registration. 
 
3.  (SBU)  However, they commented they had recently conducted 
the same party-building training programs for the ruling 
Peoples' Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) with great 
success.  Despite their unregistered status, they enjoy good 
relations with the PDPT, which has sought out NDI help to train 
women and regional party members.  NDI was even been invited by 
the Ministry of Justice-the same ministry that has yet to 
register NDI-to help Justice Minister Hamidov lead a training 
program in honor of Constitution Day November 6. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  It is hard to say whether the actions of the 
militia targeted NDI or the bearded IRPT members entering the 
meeting; however, in light of recent government attempts to 
control mosques and prevent girls from wearing the hijab in 
public schools, we lean towards the notion this was directed at 
the IRPT.  NDI's legal limbo seems to make it harder for them to 
conduct activities beyond those that help build the capacity of 
the ruling party.  Post advised NDI to behave as if it were a 
registered NGO. 
 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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