Turkmenistan Releases RFERL Reporter Yazkuliyev
Turkmenistan released Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) Dovletmyrat Yazkuliyev under “presidential amnesty” after previously sentencing him to five years in jail for “encouraging a relative to commit suicide.” The charges were widely thought to be a sham and in reality brought because of his journalistic activities. Yazkuliyev covered the deadly explosions at a weapons depot near the capital Ashgabat in July 2011, an event downplayed by state media, and in the past was harassed by authorities.
Turkmenistan is rated Not Free in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press index and is rated among the “World’s Most Repressive Societies” for receiving the lowest possible scores for both political rights and civil liberties in the annual Freedom in the World survey. Press freedom is severely restricted by the Turkmen government, which controls all broadcast and print media. Authorities banned foreign newspapers and periodical subscriptions in the country and have harassed reporters from foreign media outlets, including RFE/RL reporters Osman Hallyev and Gurbandurdy Durdykuliyev. Unanswered questions also still surround the 2006 death in custody of RFE/RL correspondent Ogulsapar Muradova.
Freedom House welcomes the release of Dovletmyrat, but condemns his original arrest. The Turkmen government must cease its suppression and intimidation of local and foreign mediain an effort to promote press freedom.
Turkmenistan is rated Not Free in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press index and is rated among the “World’s Most Repressive Societies” for receiving the lowest possible scores for both political rights and civil liberties in the annual Freedom in the World survey. Press freedom is severely restricted by the Turkmen government, which controls all broadcast and print media. Authorities banned foreign newspapers and periodical subscriptions in the country and have harassed reporters from foreign media outlets, including RFE/RL reporters Osman Hallyev and Gurbandurdy Durdykuliyev. Unanswered questions also still surround the 2006 death in custody of RFE/RL correspondent Ogulsapar Muradova.
Freedom House welcomes the release of Dovletmyrat, but condemns his original arrest. The Turkmen government must cease its suppression and intimidation of local and foreign mediain an effort to promote press freedom.
Learn more:
Freedom in the World 2011: Turkmenistan
Freedom of the Press 2011: Turkmenistan
Worst of the Worst: the World’s Most Repressive Societies 2011
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