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Alerts - Turkmenistan

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Turkmenistan

Damning UN report shows need for urgent action on human rights

The UN Human Rights Committee voiced concern about the fact that the government “systematically does not respect the right to freedom of expression,” “harasses and intimidates journalists and human rights defenders,” and “monitors the use of the internet and blocks access to some websites.”

Turkmenistan

Reporter Dovletmurad Yazguliyev sentenced to five years in prison

The journalist was charged with inciting a relative to commit suicide but colleagues believe he is being punished for his work, including reports on arms storage explosions.

Turkmenistan

Activists arrested on eve of EU Parliament visit

The latest detentions underscore the unrelenting repression in the country and the need for a robust EU response, said Human Rights Watch.

Turkmenistan

Activist confined to psychiatric hospital for talking to radio station

Amangelen Shapudakov accused a local government official of corruption in an interview for Radio Azatlyq, the Turkmen-language service of Radio Free Europe (RFE).

Turkmenistan

Journalists' health deteriorates in prison

The government continues to hold two journalists who were arrested and convicted on a trumped-up charge of "possession of illegal munitions".

Turkmenistan

Human rights activist, who had helped distribute information about Turkmenistan to the world, amnestied after being imprisoned for alleged "embezzlement"

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a 9 December 2008 Human Rights Watch press release:

Turkmenistan

RFE/RL journalist released from forced psychiatric internment, his telephone disabled to silence him

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 11 July 2008 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

RFE/RL journalist tortured, forced into psychiatric hospital; another RFE/RL correspondent under house arrest

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 26 June 2008 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

President urged to extend amnesty for 11 political prisoners to include journalists

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has written to President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov proposing that an amnesty for 11 political prisoners that was announced on 9 August 2007 should be extended to include imprisoned journalists and all other prisoners of conscience.

Turkmenistan

CPJ condemns restrictions on press coverage of presidential vote

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 9 February 2007 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

Following dictator's death, Freedom House calls for free expression reforms, greater openness

(Freedom House/IFEX) - The following is an 11 January 2007 Freedom House press release:

Turkmenistan

President Nyazov's "House of Free Creativity" called a crude provocation

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 19 October 2006 RSF press release:

Turkmenistan

President Nyazov asked to include two imprisoned journalists in independence anniversary pardon

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has appealed to President Separmurad Nyazov to include two journalists and human rights activists in the pardon he announced on 16 October 2006 for 10,000 prisoners. Held since June, Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khajiyev are now serving seven-year prison sentences.

Turkmenistan

Journalist Ogulsapar Muradova dies violently in prison

(RSF/IFEX) - Calling for a full investigation into how journalist Ogulsapar Muradova died, RSF voiced concern about the two people who were tried and convicted with her at the same secret trial on 25 August 2006, one of whom was a fixer for the French television production company Galaxie-Presse.

Turkmenistan

Three journalists and human rights activists sentenced to prison

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders said it was "disgusted" by the "absurd, unjust and disgraceful" six and seven-year prison sentences imposed on 25 August 2006 on two Turkmen journalists working for foreign media.

Turkmenistan

CPJ alarmed by reports of abuse in journalist's detention

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 14 August 2006 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

Journalist's three children, human rights activist released

(RSF/IFEX) - The three adult children of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Ogulsapar Muradova, who were arrested on 19 June 2006, a day after their mother's arrest, were freed on the evening of 1 July. An activist with the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, Elena Ovezova, was also released the same day.

Turkmenistan

Detained film collaborator being brutally interrogated, witnesses fear for his life

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on members of the G8 countries to intervene on behalf of seven journalists and human rights activists who have been held in Turkmenistan for the past two weeks.

Turkmenistan

CPJ condemns arrest of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist and her children, harassment of her family

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 21 June 2006 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

Journalist arrested, her family members harassed

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a Human Rights Watch press release:

Algeria / Turkmenistan

Jailed Algerian newspaper publisher, banned Turkmen novelist to receive 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Awards

Jailed Algerian Newspaper Publisher, Banned Turkmen Novelist to Receive 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Awards

Turkmenistan

Authorities release two Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

IFJ calls for detained journalists' immediate release

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

Turkmenistan

IFLA/FAIFE alarmed over closure of libraries

(IFLA/FAIFE/IFEX) - The following is an IFLA/FAIFE media release:

Turkmenistan

Russian journalist expelled

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced outrage over Turkmen authorities' treatment of journalist Viktor Panov, who was deported on 12 March 2005 after being held for two weeks in Ashgabat. A Foreign Ministry official who did not want to be identified said Panov, who works for the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti, was accused of spying for Moscow.

Kyrgyzstan / International / Kazakhstan / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan

Freedom House calls on Central Asian governments to lift restrictions on press freedom

(Freedom House/IFEX) - The following is a 10 May 2004 Freedom House press release:

Russia / Turkmenistan

Moscow correspondent for Radio Free Europe's Turkmen service attacked

(RSF/IFEX) - Mukhamed Berdiyev, Moscow correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Turkmen service, was beaten up by thugs at his home on 30 April 2004. The journalist lay badly injured in his apartment for three days without being able to call for help. He suffered injuries to his head, eyes and ribs.

Turkmenistan

RFE/RL correspondents released from prison and warned to stop reporting for radio station

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 24 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Turkmenistan

CPJ concerned about RFE/RL journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 5 March 2004 letter to President Saparmurat Niyazov, CPJ expressed great concern about escalating government persecution of Turkmen journalists working for the United States government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Turkmenistan

Two Radio Free Europe journalists arrested

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the release of two Radio Free Europe (RFE) journalists and writers, Rakhim Esenov and Ashyrguly Bayryev, who were arrested by National Security Ministry (NSM) agents on 26 February and 1 March 2004, respectively. It is feared they could be tortured or mistreated in detention.

Turkmenistan

Authorities persecute Radio Liberty correspondent

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on the authorities to cease their harassment of Saparmurat Ovezberdiev, a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Turkmen-language service in Ashgabat. The journalist has been tailed, beaten up, drugged and illegally detained by police over the past few months.

Turkmenistan

Journalist imprisoned

Turkmenistan

Internet service providers' licences revoked

Turkmenistan

Freedom of expression still lagging in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan

Letter to Clinton on media violations in Turkmenistan