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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...

Saddam Gulamov

Russian Diplomats Report No Complaints From Imprisoned Turkmen Activist Saddam Gulamov

Russian embassy officials in Turkmenistan have visited activist Saddam Gulamov, who is serving his sentence at the LB-E/12 penal colony in Lebap Region. Gulamov was said to have described his detention conditions and food as acceptable, and his health as satisfactory, according to a letter sent by Kamil Magomedov, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Third CIS Department, to Gulamov’s relatives. According to the document, Russian diplomats met Gulamov in person at the correctional facility in late May. The letter states that during the conversation, Gulamov described his detention conditions and food as acceptable, and said his health was satisfactory. Embassy staff also reported that they had observed no visible signs of health problems. The letter notes, however, that Gulamov intends to file a petition seeking changes to the conditions of his imprisonment. Other inmates at the LB-E/12 colony had earlier told Turkmen.news that, at least until autumn 2025, Gulamov had been held continuously in a disciplinary isolation cell. According to their accounts, the prolonged isolation negatively affected his psychological condition. There were also reports of several suicide attempts. Previously published documents show that Gulamov, who was extradited from Russia, was sentenced to five years in prison. The ruling was handed down by the Ashgabat City Court on May 13, 2024. Before being returned to Turkmenistan, Gulamov had been wanted in his home country over social media posts in which he criticized the authorities and former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov personally. According to the official wanted persons database, Gulamov was accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order and publicly inciting extremist actions through the media. The exact charges under which the final sentence was issued remain unknown. Through Russian embassy staff, Gulamov also informed his relatives that he intends to challenge what he describes as procedural violations with the help of a lawyer. These may concern the circumstances of his arrest and extradition, as well as the trial itself.

Saddam Gulamov

Extradited Turkmen Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Turkmen activist Saddam Gulamov, who was extradited from Russia to Turkmenistan last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to Turkmen.news, citing documents it said were obtained from Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The new information appears to revise earlier reports that Gulamov had received an eight-year sentence. Those accounts were based on sources in Turkmenistan’s law enforcement system and on information from inmates at the LB-E/12, also known as the Seydi Prison Labor Camp, where Gulamov is reportedly serving his sentence. According to Turkmen.news, Turkmenistan’s Prosecutor General’s Office requested Gulamov’s extradition. Russian authorities approved the request on December 20, 2023, and transferred him to Turkmen law enforcement agencies on March 1, 2024, after the decision entered into force. The documents cited by the outlet say the Judicial Panel of the Ashgabat City Court sentenced Gulamov on May 13, 2024, to five years in prison. They do not specify the charges or the legal provisions under which he was convicted. Turkmen.news also reported that Russian Embassy employees in Turkmenistan had visited Gulamov in prison and asked about his conditions of detention. No details about the outcome of those visits have been made public. The outlet said records from Turkmenistan’s wanted persons database showed that, as of 2021, Gulamov was being sought under Article 175, Part 2, of the country’s Criminal Code, which concerns public calls to violently change the constitutional order through mass media, and under Article 175-2, Part 2, which concerns public calls to extremist activity through media channels. Both offenses carried maximum prison terms of five years. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Gulamov publicly criticized Turkmen authorities and former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on social media in 2020 and 2021. His posts focused on food shortages, economic difficulties, the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the official response to a destructive hurricane. In several posts, Gulamov called on citizens not to be afraid of what he described as authoritarian rule. Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about the treatment of political activists and government critics in Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed countries, where independent political activity and public dissent remain tightly restricted.

Child Labor

ILO Reports Rise in Child Labor in Turkmenistan’s Cotton Fields

The International Labour Organization has reported a rise in child labor during Turkmenistan’s 2025 cotton harvest, despite improvements in some working conditions and continued cooperation with the government. The findings were published in the ILO’s second consecutive assessment of labor conditions during the country’s cotton campaign. The monitoring mission was conducted between August 28 and November 4, 2025, across all five regions of Turkmenistan. Observers interviewed 1,611 cotton pickers, 458 farmers, and 1,415 public-sector employees, as well as local officials and farm managers. Children were not interviewed for safety reasons, meaning conclusions regarding child labor were based on direct observations by monitors and testimony from adult respondents. One of the report’s most significant findings was a sharp increase in reports and observations of children in cotton fields. The share of cotton pickers reporting the presence of children in the fields rose to 20% in 2025 from 11% a year earlier. Among public-sector employees surveyed, the figure increased from 14% to 18%, while among farmers it rose from 17% to 34%. ILO monitors themselves encountered children during 38% of field visits, compared with 23% in the previous year’s assessment. The highest incidence was recorded in Dashoguz Region, where children were observed on 59% of surveyed fields. Comparable figures were 41% in Mary Region, 28% in Lebap Region and 25% in Ahal Region. The report also documented increased interference by local officials in monitoring activities. Attempts to influence inspections were recorded during 35% of field visits in 2025, up from 23% in 2024. Interference was also reported during 34% of inspections involving public institutions. In Dashoguz Region, officials were present during interviews with public-sector employees in 62% of cases, according to the report. The use of public-sector workers during the cotton harvest also continued. Twelve percent of surveyed government employees said they participated in cotton picking, while around one in five of those respondents said they had been sent to the fields by employers, officials, or farming associations. Fifteen percent of farmers reported seeing public-sector employees or military personnel working in the fields. The report found that concerns about negative consequences for refusing cotton work also increased. Fifteen percent of pickers reported fearing repercussions, compared with 12% a year earlier. Nearly one-quarter of surveyed public-sector employees expressed similar concerns. Respondents cited fears of losing social benefits, employment, income, or social standing within their communities. Meanwhile, the ILO reported improvements in several labor indicators. The share of workers earning below the official minimum wage fell from 29% to 13%, while average pay increased from 4.6 cents to 4.9 cents per kilogram of cotton harvested. Access to drinking water and food also improved. However, significant challenges remain. Only 7% of cotton pickers had written employment contracts, down from 22% in 2024. More than half of workers lacked at least one required piece of protective equipment, while 11% reported health problems during the harvest. The ILO noted that cooperation with the Turkmen government has resulted in some reforms, including amendments to the Labor Code that...

Human rights

Turkmen Rights Activist Diana Dadasheva Receives French Humanitarian Visa

Turkmen human rights activist Diana Dadasheva, founder of the civil rights platform Dayanch, has received a French humanitarian visa and relocated to Paris, a move that could allow her to seek political asylum. Dadasheva’s arrival in France follows years of activism focused on human rights issues in Turkmenistan and concerns among rights groups about her personal safety while she was living in Turkey. Although she had resided legally in Turkey for several years, activists feared she could face deportation to Turkmenistan. According to rights advocates, Dadasheva received repeated threats linked to her public activities. Her human rights work began after she personally experienced restrictions imposed by the Turkmen authorities. Dadasheva has said she was barred from leaving Turkmenistan for six years without explanation, an experience that later motivated her advocacy on behalf of migrant workers and women, as well as her engagement with international organizations. One issue she has frequently highlighted is the practice of travel bans imposed on Turkmen citizens, which rights groups have long criticized as arbitrary and lacking transparency. Concerns about Dadasheva’s safety were heightened by the experiences of other Turkmen opposition figures and activists living in Turkey. In 2023, Turkish authorities reportedly deported several Turkmen activists, including Farhad Meymankuliyev, Rovshen Klychev, and Serdar Durdylyev, according to rights advocates. Others, including Merdan Muhammedov, Alisher Sakhatov, and Abdulla Oruzov, were reportedly forcibly returned to Turkmenistan or faced a serious risk of deportation. Another prominent activist, Dursoltan Taganova, left Turkey after years of alleged harassment and detention and later received asylum in Canada. Dadasheva’s relocation to France was reportedly facilitated in part by the opposition movement Democratic Choice of Turkmenistan. Dadasheva has said she intends to continue her human rights work from France, including advocacy for the Turkmen community abroad.

Tourism

Turkmenistan Eases Restrictions for Foreign Tourists

Turkmenistan has begun gradually easing restrictions on foreign visitors and tourists, though local residents and human rights advocates say the changes have had little impact on the daily lives of the country’s citizens. Reports of a more accommodating approach toward foreign travelers have emerged from both tourists and representatives of the international tourism industry. Canadian traveler Elise Williams said that before visiting Turkmenistan in early 2026, her tour operator advised her not to stray far from her hotel and to avoid taking photographs independently in public places. Upon arrival, however, she found the situation less restrictive than expected. “I felt fairly free and was able to take many photographs in different locations,” Williams said. Tourism industry representatives have also noted signs of change. Dylan Harris, head of the British travel company Lupine Travel, said visas for Turkmenistan are now being issued more quickly and that his company has not experienced a single visa refusal over the past year. According to Harris, the application process has become significantly easier following the introduction of an electronic visa system. He believes the authorities are seeking to make the country more accessible to the outside world. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan developed a reputation as one of the most closed countries in the post-Soviet region. Foreign visitors frequently encountered visa denials, travel restrictions, and limitations on photography. A new phase of liberalization began in 2025 with the launch of the electronic visa system, which tourism operators say has reduced bureaucratic barriers and made travel planning more predictable. However, residents interviewed by independent media outlets argue that the recent changes primarily benefit foreigners rather than Turkmen citizens themselves. While international visitors may face fewer restrictions, locals say longstanding controls affecting domestic travel, access to information, and everyday freedoms remain largely unchanged. The contrast highlights the limited nature of Turkmenistan’s opening. While the government appears to be taking cautious steps to attract more foreign visitors, the country remains one of the most tightly controlled societies in the region. For now, the easing of tourist restrictions appears to be aimed more at improving Turkmenistan’s international accessibility than at broader domestic liberalization.