International Human Rights Defenders Demand Release of Turkmen Activist

Turkmen civil activist Murat Dushemov, who has completed a four-year prison sentence, was not released on June 14 as expected. Instead, he was transferred to a pre-trial detention facility in Turkmenabat just days before his anticipated release. Sentence Served, Yet No Freedom According to Turkmen.News, new criminal charges were filed against Dushemov following an alleged altercation with another inmate, an incident human rights defenders claim was fabricated. Dushemov asserts he was framed in a deliberate provocation: "The person who filed the complaint started hitting the wall, injuring himself, and smearing the wall with blood. They want to slander me again to prolong my stay here," he said. Human rights advocates argue the authorities are using these new accusations as a tactic to extend Dushemov's imprisonment. Retaliation for Criticism Dushemov was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to four years on charges of extortion and bodily harm. International watchdogs have consistently stated that the charges were politically motivated. Prior to his arrest, Dushemov had openly criticized the Turkmen government's COVID-19 policies, questioning the legal basis for mask mandates and mandatory vaccination, which he refused to comply with. One allegation involved the chief doctor of a medical facility, whom Dushemov allegedly blackmailed by threatening to release a compromising video. Another accusation stemmed from a supposed provocation in prison, where two inmates, allegedly encouraged by authorities, fought each other and later claimed Dushemov had assaulted them. Global Advocacy Five human rights groups, including the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Turkmen.News, the Turkmen Human Rights Initiative, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, have issued a joint statement calling for Dushemov’s immediate release. They condemned the new charges as retaliation for his civic activism: “The authorities must drop the new criminal charges brought against civil society activist Murat Dushemov as clear retaliation for his activities and release him immediately,” they stated. The groups also urged Turkmenistan’s international partners to exert diplomatic pressure on Ashgabat to halt its persecution of activists and journalists. Human Rights Watch echoed this call, stating on June 25 that the Turkmen authorities must “immediately and unconditionally release activist Murat Dushemov and end all abuses aimed at prolonging his detention.” The case of Murat Dushemov illustrates the ongoing suppression of dissent in Turkmenistan. Despite growing international criticism, the government continues to use the criminal justice system as a tool to silence civil society.

Kazakhstan: Court Says 1986 Protester Was Victim of Political Repression

Four decades after participating in anti-Soviet protests in Kazakhstan, a 64-year-old man has been recognized as a victim of political repression by a court in the former Soviet republic. The ruling is part of a sweeping effort by Kazakhstan’s government to rehabilitate the reputations of people who faced persecution during Soviet rule, which ended when the country became independent in 1991. Many cases go back to a time of forced resettlement, famine and execution nearly a century ago, drawing on documents and the expertise of scholars and other specialists that lay bare historical trauma even as Kazakhstan maintains close trade and diplomatic ties with its neighbor, Russia. On Thursday, Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court released a statement about a more recent case, saying a resident of Aktobe city in western Kazakhstan who was a philosophy and economics student at Kazakh State University had been expelled for allegedly disturbing public order. “The reason for his expulsion was his detention by law enforcement officers on December 18, 1986 - on suspicion of participating in the December events, without charges being brought,” the court said. It did not name the student. The so-called December events refer to a 1986 protest movement called the Jeltoqsan that young people began in Almaty, then known as Alma-Ata. The demonstrations escalated into clashes with Soviet security forces and lasted for several days. The catalyst for the upheaval was the removal of Dinmukhamed Kunaev, an ethnic Kazakh who was the first secretary of Kazakhstan’s Communist Party, and his replacement with an ethnic Russian. The direct challenge to authority highlighted the erosion of Moscow’s control that would eventually end with the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court, the student who was detained was freed, but he was expelled from the Communist Party, faced persecution, and couldn’t find a job. His wife was also turned down for jobs. Between 1990 and 1993, the couple and their three young children had to rent housing and were in a “socially vulnerable position,” the court said. This year, the man, now 64 years old, filed a lawsuit to be recognized as a victim of political repression because of his participation in the 1986 protests. Court No. 3 of Aktobe agreed that he had been subjected to political persecution, including restrictions on labor rights, the Supreme Court said. The Aktobe court based its decision on documents from the university and the prosecutor's office, as well as witness testimony. Kazakhstan’s law on rehabilitation of victims of political repression can provide for the restoration of violated rights as well as financial compensation.