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Digital Rights

Turkmenistan Fines Citizens Over Social Media Likes as Digital Controls Tighten

Authorities in Turkmenistan have tightened control over citizens’ online activity, with district courts in Ashgabat reportedly hearing administrative cases daily against people accused of liking or commenting on posts critical of the government on TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms. The cases were reported by Chronicles of Turkmenistan. The platforms in question remain inaccessible in Turkmenistan without VPN services, which the government has systematically tried to block. According to available information, security services are identifying citizens who regularly visit banned online resources. Those individuals are then summoned to police stations, where they are interrogated and warned about the consequences of further online activity. The cases are then transferred to lower courts. In most instances, first-time offenders are fined approximately $10. There have also been separate cases in which obscene language online has served as grounds for administrative prosecution. In Turkmenabat, authorities have begun transferring internet subscribers from outdated ADSL connections to Ethernet. As previously reported by Chronicles of Turkmenistan, telecommunications workers are replacing old cables and installing new lines in apartments at no charge. However, users must purchase their own routers, which currently cost between $25 and $30 in local markets. According to the latest CIVICUS report, Turkmenistan has significantly tightened digital controls and restrictions on access to uncensored information in recent months. In its updated assessment, CIVICUS notes that despite official statements about improving digital infrastructure, Turkmenistan’s government has also increased pressure on alternative internet access channels, including equipment linked to Starlink. The organization warns that the expansion of Ethernet networks may also be intended to increase centralized monitoring and control of internet traffic. In neighboring Tajikistan, the legal direction has been different. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, President Emomali Rahmon signed a law in May 2025 decriminalizing likes and other reactions to social media posts that had previously carried criminal liability. Turkmenistan’s practice of fining citizens for online activity points in the opposite direction, toward tighter state control over the internet in a country where access to independent information remains severely restricted.

Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict

Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill at Least 28 Civilians, UN Says

The United Nations says at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 injured in Pakistani airstrikes in several provinces in Afghanistan, as violence continues in the border region following ceasefire efforts that have repeatedly broken down. Women and children were among the casualties in the airstrikes in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces on Sunday night, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Monday. UNAMA said the figures were preliminary and that the toll could increase as hospitals treat the injured. Hamdullah Fitrat, a spokesman for the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, announced a higher casualty toll than the UN. At least 36 civilians were killed and 163 others were injured, Fitrat said on X. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the airstrikes hit militant hideouts and strongholds on the Afghan side of the border, killing at least two dozen militants in retaliation for attacks on targets in Pakistan. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to militants who carry out attacks against Pakistani security forces, an allegation that the Taliban in Afghanistan denies. Besides humanitarian concerns, the ongoing violence is also a concern for Central Asian governments and business groups that are working to develop trade corridors and infrastructure projects linking their region with South Asia. Those projects, which would require close collaboration between Afghanistan and Pakistan, include the Trans-Afghan Railway, the TAPI natural gas pipeline, and the CASA-1000 electricity project.

Pest Control

Rats Reported at Turkmen Presidential Residence Near Ashgabat

A reported rat infestation at a Turkmen presidential residence near Ashgabat has prompted an overnight extermination operation at the compound in Archabil. According to Chronicles of Turkmenistan, sanitary workers were sent from Ashgabat to the presidential country residence on the night of June 15-16 after rats were found around the grounds. The operation reportedly lasted several hours. Pest-control teams flooded burrows and underground tunnels with water, collected the dead rats, and then treated the area with chemicals. Several carcasses were sent for laboratory testing at the Institute of Clinical Medicine and Epidemiology, housed in the former anti-plague station building. The tests reportedly found no dangerous infectious diseases. The rodents were identified as brown rats, also known as Norway rats. The species is common in urban environments and can carry diseases including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and murine typhus. The apparent rise in rat numbers in Ashgabat and nearby areas has been linked to the regular killing of stray cats and dogs by city authorities. With fewer natural predators, they said, rats can spread more easily. Animal round-ups are a recurring feature of official preparations in Turkmenistan. In May, Turkmen.News reported that stray cats and dogs were removed from the western port city of Turkmenbashi ahead of a visit by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. According to the outlet, this was not done subtly, with some animals “were bludgeoned to death with sticks and iron bars” in public view, including in front of children. The reported infestation is awkward for a state that presents Ashgabat and its elite residences as models of cleanliness and order. Turkmenistan’s government has not commented publicly on the incident.

State-Controlled Religion

Turkmenistan’s Chief Mufti Replacement Recalls Earlier Dismissals

Only two people in Turkmenistan, the chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and the president, have what could be considered job security. Everyone else is expendable, at a moment’s notice, and that extends to the country’s top clergy. Turkmenistan has replaced the country’s top mufti, and while the reasons for the sudden move are not clear, the removal process is very familiar for Turkmenistan. Frantic Friday On June 19, the mufti of all Turkmenistan, Yalkap Hojagulyyev, led Friday prayers at the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque in Gypjak, some 11 kilometers from the capital, Ashgabat. Saparmurat “Turkmenbashi” Niyazov was Turkmenistan’s first president. The country’s compliant parliament and Halk Maslahaty bestowed the title of “Turkmenbashi,” meaning head of the Turkmen, on Niyazov. Gypjak was Niyazov’s home village, and when he was alive, he spent $100 million building a mosque that could accommodate 10,000 worshipers. After he died in late 2006, he was laid to rest at the nearby mausoleum built specially for him and his family. The June 19 Friday prayers were attended by a special visitor, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also paid his respects at Niyazov’s mausoleum. After prayers ended, the top figures from the muftiate, the spiritual board overseeing Islamic affairs in Turkmenistan, and select elders from around Turkmenistan met at the mosque for a discussion. That discussion included the announcement that the muftiate had appointed a new chief mufti. That person was Rahman Gurbanmyradov. Gurbanmyradov, who had been the head mufti for Ahal Region, was not at the meeting in Gypjak. He was saying prayers at the Seyit Jemaleddin Mosque in Ak Bugday District, Ahal Region, for a sadaqah (voluntary giving of charity) organized by Halk Maslahaty Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Berdimuhamedov was marking the first Friday of the Islamic year 1448, which started on June 16. Back in Gypjak, senior clerics and elders were also considering what to name the new mosque being built in the newly built city of Arkadag, some 30 kilometers outside Ashgabat. Berdimuhamedov succeeded Turkmenbashi as president and held the office for roughly 15 years. During that period, government officials and state media gave him the title “Arkadag,” or “Protector.” Not surprisingly, when one of the elders at the Gypjak meeting proposed naming the new mosque in Arkadag city the Arkadag Spiritual Mosque, there was unanimous support. Why Hojagulyyev was fired is unclear, though there is speculation that Berdimuhamedov had been angry with the mufti since 2023, when Hojagulyyev brought his wife to make the Hajj at state expense. Hojagulyyev had been the head mufti since 2019. Turkmenbashi Tames the Clergy First President Niyazov is credited with bringing the entire state apparatus under his full control in the first years after Turkmenistan’s 1991 independence. However, it took him longer to achieve the total submission of Islamic clergy. Toward the end of 1999, leading Islamic cleric and scholar Khoja Ahmed Orazgylych criticized Niyazov’s public support for the traditional New Year celebration that included dancing around a Christmas tree." The practice dated back to the...

Air Cargo

Turkmenistan Says Air Belgium Will Launch Cargo Flights via Ashgabat

Air Belgium will start cargo flights through Ashgabat International Airport in early August, reflecting Turkmenistan’s hopes of becoming an air cargo hub between Asia and Europe despite its traditional restrictions on the aviation market. Sapar Palvanov, Turkmenistan’s ambassador in Brussels, discussed the plan with Air Belgium CEO Georges Chachati during a recent visit to the headquarters of the Belgian carrier, which focuses on cargo operations through aircraft charter and leasing operations. “Special attention was paid to the practical aspects of the upcoming launch of cargo flights, as well as to technical details related to the organization of this process,” the Turkmen embassy in Belgium said on Friday. “The parties also discussed the possibility of holding a symbolic ceremony to mark the first launch of cargo flights, which is expected to take place in early August of this year.” The embassy said that Chachati, who had met transport leaders during a visit to Turkmenistan, noted the “attractive conditions” at Ashgabat International Airport, including refueling services and technical support. Palvanov said “the development of air logistics is an important part of the country’s broader strategy to expand international transport connectivity and diversify cargo transportation routes,” according to the embassy. Air Belgium’s fleet includes Boeing B747-8F and Airbus A330-243F freighters, according to the Belgian Air Transport Association. The carrier originally served passengers but ran into financial trouble in the early 2020s and shifted its focus to cargo traffic. After entering bankruptcy last year, Air Belgium was rescued when CMA CGM, a French multinational that is one of the world’s top shipping groups, took over the carrier’s cargo operations. Relatively few foreign carriers fly to Turkmenistan compared with other Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which have taken more robust steps to welcome competition and visitors. Although Turkmenistan tightly regulates aviation and favors its national carrier, the country has invested in airport infrastructure and says it hopes to attract more international cargo carriers. Central Asia has become more important as a regional hub for air traffic because many carriers are seeking alternative routes between Europe and Asia amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and periodic conflict in the Middle East.

EU-Turkmenistan Relations

EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue Presses Ashgabat on Rights

The European Union used its latest human rights dialogue with Turkmenistan to press Ashgabat on the gap between outward engagement and domestic control. The 18th annual EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue was held in Ashgabat on June 22. It came during a period of slightly more visible contact between Turkmenistan and the outside world, including a rare visit by a Reuters reporting team earlier this year. Reuters said its journalists were able to travel unescorted and report freely, an unusual development in a country long known for strict visa controls and heavily managed media access. Whether that points to a genuine opening remains unclear. Turkmenistan has also spoken of simplifying its visa regime, joining the World Trade Organization, and diversifying its heavily state-led economy. The human rights picture remains highly restrictive. Rights groups continue to rank Turkmenistan among the world’s most closed states for journalists, civil society, and political dissent. The country placed 173rd out of 180 in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The Turkmen delegation at the dialogue was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mehri Byashimova. The EU delegation was headed by Dietmar Krissler, head of the Central Asia Division at the European External Action Service. Brussels’ public account of the meeting focused on areas where it wants Turkmenistan to go further. The EU called for stronger anti-discrimination measures, tougher action against sexual and gender-based violence, the criminalization of domestic violence, and the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relations between adults. The bloc welcomed Turkmenistan’s cooperation with the International Labour Organization on eliminating forced and child labor. That issue has long been central to outside criticism of Turkmenistan, particularly in the cotton sector. Earlier this year, the EU and ILO launched a project aimed at strengthening action against forced and child labor in the country. The dialogue also reached some of Turkmenistan’s most sensitive rights issues. The EU raised concern over human rights defenders, including reports of transnational repression, and handed the Turkmen delegation a list of individual cases. Prison conditions were another focus. The EU cited reports of torture and ill-treatment, and urged Turkmenistan to work more closely with civil society on enforced disappearances. Rights groups have repeatedly called on Brussels to tie closer relations with Ashgabat to measurable progress on such cases. The EU praised Turkmenistan’s efforts to reduce statelessness, while also calling on the authorities to ensure equal access to consular services for all Turkmen citizens living abroad. Turkmen overseas have reported difficulties renewing passports and obtaining basic consular support, leaving some in precarious legal positions. The EU also called for unrestricted internet access and a safer environment for civil society organizations. The meeting reflects the tension in the EU’s current approach to Turkmenistan. Brussels is engaging Ashgabat more actively, as it is with the rest of Central Asia, but continues to keep human rights on the formal agenda. For Turkmenistan, even limited external access and more regular dialogue can be presented as movement. For the EU and rights groups, the test is whether that access leads...