Turkmenistan

World Report 2008: Turkmenistan

Attacks on the Press in 2007: Turkmenistan

(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. 20 August 2007 President urged to extend amnesty for 11 political prisoners to include journalists SOURCE: […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 9 February 2007 CPJ press release: In Turkmenistan, CPJ condemns restrictions on journalists covering Sunday’s presidential vote New York, February 9, 2007 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns restrictions on the foreign and domestic journalists covering the Turkmen presidential election on February 11. While voters will cast their […]

(Freedom House/IFEX) – The following is an 11 January 2007 Freedom House press release: Turkmenistan Urged to End its Reign of Repression Washington, D.C., and Budapest, Hungary – Following the death of long-time dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, and prior to upcoming presidential elections, Freedom House today called on the government of Turkmenistan to initiate steps that […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 19 October 2006 RSF press release: President Nyazov’s “House of Free Creativity” called a crude provocation Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage at the “House of Free Creativity” that President Separmurad Nyazov inaugurated on 17 October 2006 in Ashgabat and dedicated to the free press. A 10-storey building in the […]

(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. The presidential pardon is to mark the 15th anniversary of […]

(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. Reporters Without Borders has learned that […]

(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. It condemned the decision of the court in Ashgabat as orchestrated by “President-for-Life” Separmurad Nyazov as part of a secret prosecution and […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 14 August 2006 CPJ press release: TURKMENISTAN: CPJ alarmed by reports of abuse in journalist’s detention New York, August 14, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the fate of Ogulsapar Muradova, Ashgabat correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), who has been in a […]

(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. According to […]

(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. “We have very good reasons to fear that they are being ill-treated,” the press freedom organisation said. Human rights […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2006 CPJ press release: TURKMENISTAN: Radio journalist arrested without charge or explanation New York, June 21, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrests of Ogulsapar Muradova, an Ashgabat-based correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and her three children. Muradova, arrested on Sunday, is […]

(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: Turkmenistan: Arrests on Eve of EU Parliament Visit Authorities Must Immediately Release Detained Human Rights Defenders (New York, June 20, 2006) – Just days before a European Parliament delegation was scheduled to arrive in Ashgabat to determine whether the European Union should sign an […]

Jailed Algerian Newspaper Publisher, Banned Turkmen Novelist to Receive 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Awards New York, New York, March 29, 2006 – PEN American Center today named Mohammed Benchicou, a newspaper publisher already in prison and facing 50 additional sentences for his newspaper’s independent reporting, and Rakhim Esenov, a novelist, historian, and Radio […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: TURKMENISTAN: Authorities release two RFE/RL journalists New York, March 20, 2006 – Authorities have released two journalists working for the Turkmen service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) after arresting them on spurious charges of hooliganism, according to international press reports. RFE/RL officials in Prague issued […]