TIHR Authors

violations, which may first seem unimportant. medical institutions were required to undergoTherefore, above all we should ask ourselves tests (blood and urine controls).what we have personally done to make thelife around us better. It seems that these are the least-evil measures, since the degree of drug addictionOne should realize that if we keep silent, among the population and the availability ofmiracles won’t happen and the situation will drugs in Turkmenistan is frightening.never change. Therefore, we criticize the workof careless contractors. However, this does In 2010, Turkmenistani citizens have alreadynot mean that the constructions should be realized that the law enforcement authoritiesstopped. New building projects are essential had addressed this problem seriously.but one should necessarily comply with basic Numerous points of drugs sales have beenrules and norms. eliminated and their hosts have been convicted to long terms in prison without theA propos, if Polimex had been maintaining its right to be amnestied.construction sites in a similar way somewherein Russia, Europe USA, China or Australia, the While two years ago a dose of heroin cost halfcompany would have been ruined by penalties the amount of the cheapest bottle of vodka inand endless lawsuits. Ashgabat ($ 1), today it is very difficult to obtain the drug, and one have to possess aUnfortunately, in Turkmenistan Polimex certain sum of money as the price for oneenjoys a privileged status due to the friendly dose has increased by 5-7 times. However, itties with the state leader. However, even this should be stressed that having launched a warcannot serve as an excuse for violation of against drug dealers, the state is notcommonly accepted construction standards. implementing any measures to provide medical treatment and rehabilitation of drugDrug addiction: Preventive fight (9 addicts.December 2010)Decisions, adopted by officials to tackle the There is no programme, endorsed at theproblem of drug addiction, often seem government level, to tackle this problem inspontaneous, premature and uncoordinated, the short and in the long run. There is noand sometimes even weird. single modern narcology clinic in the country while clinics that do exist do not meet the veryFollowing the wave of inspections of and basic standards. For instance, in 2008 only onepenalties on health care staff for travels narcology clinic, designed to accommodate 20abroad, unauthorized by the management, a patients, served the entire city of Ashgabat – anew instruction was received from the Health city with 500 thousand of inhabitants.Care Ministry - to check all health care stafffor addiction to drugs. For this, all staff of One should be wait-listed in order to get into this clinic. Relatives of the drug addicts, who250 could not afford treatment in the clinic, had to send them to the medical labor centers, which in fact do not differ from correctional colonies. In addition, the level of availability of drugs there is higher than outside the walls of this «treatment» facility. As a rule, many drug addicts end up in prisons, which they will not leave as normal individuals, and certainly not as healthy ones. The country has no single private clinic for treatment drugs and alcohol dependency

despite the fact that these problems are the Turkmen standard of living. Comparisonsmost acute nowadays. (14 April 2011) The head of the state made the followingThese negative phenomena stem, as statement at the session of the Cabinet ofelsewhere, from mass unemployment, mostly Ministers held on 25 February: “Our mainamong young people, as well as unbalanced objective is to ensure the standard of living forlegislative, economic, social (particularly in the the Turkmen people, which is in line with thefield of medicine) and educational politics, standards of developed European countries”.implemented by the government ofTurkmenistan. Is anyone in the country, including the President himself, aware of existing standardsThis, in turn, is a logical result of the of living in developed European countries?authoritarian rule in Turkmenistan. Thegovernment should finally realize that the The standard of living or the level ofrepressive measures of criminal persecution prosperity of the country’s residents isalone adopted with regard to drug dealers and inherently a degree of contentment indrug addicts will not solve the problem of drug physical, spiritual and social needs of people,addiction in the country. which is expressed by the system of criteria reflecting various aspects of life, including perA comprehensive national programme is capita real income, the volume of consumedneeded, which would take into account not goods and services and realizing rights ofonly the geographical location of individuals through social guarantees.Turkmenistan in the nearest proximity to the Furthermore, the spread of such negativemain routes of the Afghan drug trafficking, but phenomena in the society as unemployment,also an individual approach to the treatment corruption, crimes, unbalanced prosperity,of each patient of this category, the use of the which trigger social tension and discontentmost modern approaches to treatment and among the residents also affect the standardinvolvement of foreign specialists both for of living.treating drug addicts and training medicalstaff. Why is it the standards of living of European countries which were selected rather than, forComing back to testing the medical staff for instance, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia oraddiction to drugs, we would like to ask the the United Arab Emirates? In these countriesmanagement of the various institutions the the living standard of indigenous people is notfollowing question: Which measures will be lower but perhaps even higher than in Europe.endorsed with regard to those staff who arecaught taking drugs? But let us come back to the standard of living in developed European countries whereOne can forecast almost with 100% certainty residents are entitled to social benefitsthat people would be simply fired and their including unemployment benefits andfamilies would be left without any means for compare several criteria with the present-dayliving, as the country has no service to provide Turkmen standard of living.support, medical treatment and rehabilitationfor such patients. This, in turn, will lead to a Unemployment benefits allow their recipientsnew growth of criminal activity amongst this to have some income and to discourage themcategory of citizens. from engaging in illegal activities for earning daily bread. It seems that the TurkmenTherefore, these issues should be solved with authorities would never agree to pay outextra care as the main principle of the doctor unemployment benefits since the realis as follows: «First, do no harm!» unemployment rate in the country becomes known.251

In developed European countries a retirement Furthermore, medical knowledge andpension allows elderly people not only to qualifications of graduates in Turkmenmake a good living, but to go outside their medical universities are extremely low. Theyown country and travel around the world on a cannot even be compared with the educationregular basis. level in Turkembashi’s times, let alone Soviet or European education systems.In Turkmenistan retirees hardly make bothends meet since the amount of pension is At present a medical doctor in Turkmenistansufficient only to buy groceries (an average receives a net salary of 740 manatsretirement pension amounts to $100) let (equivalent to $260), whereas annual incomealone to meet retirees’ needs in medications, of a European general practitioner dependingmedical treatment, clothes, summer holidays on qualifications and country of residenceor medical rehabilitation at least in the tourist equals to a minimum of 100.000 Euro andzone Avaza or in another local recreation above. Needless to say, after paying all taxesfacility. to the federal budget, this amount will be almost halved. Yet, at the same time inIn European countries the efficient state-run Turkmenistan average expenditures forhealth insurance system is in place which groceries account for approximately 75-80%virtually offers high quality medical treatment of entire income, whereas a similar index inalmost free of charge. Europe is 2.5 times lower. The difference is more than tangible!In Turkmenistan health insurances areavailable which can be used to purchase A monthly child allowance amounts to $7. Yet,subsidized medications in state-run actual monthly expenses for a 3 year old childpharmacies. However, the list of medications amount to $70 and higher provided that anapproved by the Ministry of Healthcare is very average monthly income of a typical Turkmenlimited and pharmaceuticals are so outdated household where both parents are employedand inefficient that they are simply not used in is approximately $491. It should be taken intocivilized countries. One of foreign doctors account that traditionally there are more thanfrom Europe was shocked by this list of two kids in Turkmen families.medications and pitifully referred to them as“Stone age” products. Needless to say, the Turkmen-style childcareIt is true that the Turkmen health insurance falls behind average European standards inallows getting access to cheaper treatment inthe so-called “new medical facilities” which terms of quality since the quality of baby foodoffer inflated prices for their services.However, nobody can guarantee high quality and merchandize for children, quality oftreatment there, which is caused by theshortage of highly qualified personnel. healthcare, demography statistics,However paradoxical that may sound, state-of-the-art medical clinics with modern environment, state of health, parents’equipment had been constructed but thereare no qualified specialists. financial savings and other factors were notThis happens because it is impossible to live taken into account when calculating a childon the salary of a medical doctor even from astate-of-the-art clinic and moreover, to allowance. Overall, these factors in Europesupport a family. In order to survive,healthcare practitioners need to have a side significantly exceed those in Turkmenistan.job, “extort” money from patients, orabandon medicine forever. Due to salary increases, the amount of fines imposed by Road inspection, State Taxation252 Service, State Standardization Committee and many other institutions have increased several times. This is linked to the fact that the minimum wage, which had been previously used to calculate fines, rose from 200 manats ($70) to 350 manats ($123). In its turn, this affects prices in the private sector etc.

Mention should be made of the pension residents are used to such power stoppagesamount for people with disabilities. Below is and shutdowns, they were indeed quitean example of a disabled person who resides lengthy on that day. In such hot weather thisin Turkmenistan and holds the 1st category of is usually attributed to extremely high airdisability. For obvious reasons his name is temperature and worn-out Ashgabat powerbeing withheld. Disability of the 1st category is supply networks.the most aggravated degree of disabilitywhich means that a person is not able to look About 7 p.m. my neighbours told me that theirafter himself. In the meantime his pension is relatives residing in the western district ofas low as 160 manats ($56). Disabled people Ashgabat are on the way to their house asof the 2nd and 3rd categories are entitled to explosion had occurred in Abadan and water,smaller pensions. According to his parent, this power and gas supply was cut off in themoney are just enough to buy hygiene items western district of Ashgabat. Yet, no precise(diapers and disposable towels), let alone information was available, even by word-of-medications, food or hiring a nurse. mouth.In contrast to Turkmenistan there are On July 8 in the morning after seeing thespecially-designated clinics for severely coverage on Russian TV channels, I headed tochallenged people, drug addicted, substance- Abadan to check first-hand what haddependent and mentally handicapped happened. Access to the city was opened fromindividuals in Europe, where they have a all directions, no checkpoints were arranged.normal life and reach old age. Most of these The only thing I paid attention to was thatclinics are funded by the state. Furthermore, unarmed military conscripts cordoned onethere are numerous privately-owned clinics kilometer of the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashiwhich are sponsored by wealthy country’s motorway. I did not notice any nervousness inresidents, community foundations or charity the way soldiers and officers behaved.organizations. No visible destructions along the motorwayRegrettably, there are no clinics of this kind in were seen. Here and there there was brokenTurkmenistan though the economic and HR glass and in some parts roof slates were blownpotential in the country enables to make out. Under usual circumstances this could besignificant accomplishments in this field and at attributed to dilapidated buildings andleast get a bit closer to civilized countries. common negligence.Today the country’s leaders demonstrate no Access to the residential district GRESpolitical will and desire to resolve the burning (regional power station) was blocked by roadstate problems and bold statements about the police inspectors. Since the military unit,intentions to improve the standard of living based in Abadan, is located 50 kilometersremain eloquent but empty promises. from the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi motorway, fuel storage with an area of 100 squareAbadan tragedy (12 July 2011) meters on its territory, which had burnt to theI found out about the fire and subsequent ground, could be seen from the road. As itexplosions at the arms deport from the became known later, a shell hit there.newcasts broadcast by the Russian channelsonly on 8 July in the morning, i.e. 18 hours Shovels and other equipment were distributedafter the first explosions hit the town. among military personnel to clear rubble and fire sites. Ordnance explosions were not heardIndeed, a day before, on July 8 the outside by this time. Nor were plumes of smoketemperature exceeded 45 degrees Celsius. In visible. Eyewitness accounts, however, suggestAshgabat’s central residential districts on July that smoke in the epicenter of explosions did7 constant voltage jumps were recorded from not disappear until 6 p.m. on July 8. All that4 to 8 p.m. Despite the fact that Ashgabat could be seen from the motorway, except the253

burn-out fuel storage facility and the zone Republic” were also affected. Unexplodedcordoned by military conscripts, did not point shells were found even in Geokche.out to the real scope of the disaster. According to eyewitnesses, explosions endedYet, the information received from experts only by 7 a.m. on July 8. It should be notedand eyewitnesses proves the opposite. This is that during Turkmenbashi’s time, a residentialhappening because the Turkmen authorities area was built in the unauthorized proximityare again trying to “hide a pig in a poke” thus to the arms depot, just 1-3 kilometers away.posing a deadly threat to their own citizens. There are 4-5 storey apartment blocks which were constructed for the inhabitants ofIt turned out that first the fireworks Firyusa who had been evicted due to theequipment was ignited, as the Turkmen expansion of the Presidential residency inauthorities stated in their version of the Firyusa.incident. Indeed they were recently purchasedto arrange festive fireworks devoted to the The residents and buildings in this area are the20th anniversary of the country’s most affected. A kindergarten and a schoolindependence. Pyrotechnics were stored near have been completely destroyed. Over 40the entrance to the main terminal of the arms children with burns and injuries of varyingdepot in the open air, which is a violation of severity were placed in the Maternal and Childsafety rules for explosives storage. Health Centre in Ashgabat alone. Over 150 adults were transported to the medical centreCanvas tent was missing, which could named after S. Niyazov. Needless to say, manypotentially protect pyrotechnics from rays of injured, including kids were placed in othersun. Ashgabat medical facilities. Healthcare practitioners switched to 24 hour workingThe main terminal was fully equipped and schedule.disguised as a hill, similar to fighter aircraftstorage facilities at the military airport in Ak- There are contradictory data about thetepe. There was a ground floor and a number of casualties – various sources referbasement there. The data on the number of from 50 to 200 people, however, the precisearms stored there vary, ranging from 5000 to number has not been estimated yet. There are50000 tons. unconfirmed reports about a bigger number.Eyewitnesses say that the first blast caused a As of this writing (July 9) mine pickers, staffplume of smoke, which looked like a nuclear members from the Ministry of Defense andmushroom. Now a huge black crater is seen main office for Emergency Situations headedinstead of the former terminal. by the Minister of Defense and accompanied by employees of General Prosecutor’s officeAfter the ignition and explosion of are working on the site. They are responsiblepyrotechnics the main terminal set on fire. for identifying and neutralizing unexplodedApart from bullets for small arms and light ordnance, making inventory and assessing theweapons, hand grenades, light anti truck damage, which apparently will make upweapon grenades and other ordnance, “hail dozens of millions of dollars. Investigatingand storm” artillery systems were stored agencies are to find out the real reason of thethere. Therefore one can imagine the power tragedy and identify those guilty.of explosions and radius where unexplodedshells sailed. It should be mentioned that several months before the incident the General Prosecutor’sAs a result of the incident the inhabitants of office carried out the inspection of this armsAbadan and the former collective farms “40 deport and identified a lot of violations. Theyears of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist results of the inspection were reported to the Cabinet department overseeing law-254

enforcement agencies. However, no measures sweeping roads, pavements and squaresto improve the situation have been round-the-clock.undertaken. You will not see tourists and holiday makers inThe week of culture, or birthday celebrations Avaza these days. It is invaded by officials of(24 June 2013) all levels, builders, public utilities employees,Today the festivities timed to coincide with road inspectors and numerous representativesthe week of culture are scheduled to start in of special services.Turkmenistan, with the President’s birthday,celebrated on 29 June as the highlight. Large- Since 20 June hotels have not been checkingscale events will be organized in the Avaza in any tourists and from 24 June will berecreational area. checking out those holiday-makers who came before.On 14 June Deputy Prime Minister ByagulNurmyradova briefed the President on The gala concert with Russian and world poppreparations for the celebration of the week stars will be a highlight of the festivities.of culture scheduled to be held from 24-30 According to rumours, an honorarium for theJune. We decided to make inquiries about the performance of one star amounts to as mucharrangements. as $500,000. A Chinese company is making a huge amphitheater with all the relevantSince early June Avaza and the city of special effects for this show.Turkmenbashi have been turning themselvesupside down. Sixteen new hotels and resorts Nobody knows how much will be spent fromare being commissioned. Builders are working the state budget to celebrate the week ofin emergency mode, almost round-the-clock. culture which is virtually devoted to the President’s birthday.In the majority of cases the construction siteswill not be completed on time and incomplete Local residents are waiting for the upcomingwork is being covered up with landscaped festivities with trepidation as city life duringareas, posters, advertising banners and other these days will be simply paralyzed. Moreover,gimmicks. Workers from all across the country despite the summer holidays, all residentshave been sent to help. From Ashgabat alone who are employed by government agencies asabout 200 utilities employees have been well as schoolchildren will be participating indeployed to plant flowers and plants. These numerous crowd scenes.works are underway in a 40 degrees heatwave, which seedlings and flowers are unlikely Additionally, for several days in a row noto tolerate. On the coast a strong eastern water has been available in the recreationalwind has been blowing for a week, bringing in area due to the failure of a demineralizedtons of sand and so the utilities workers are water generator. As a result all cafes and restaurants located outside hotels (the latter255 have drinking water tanks) were urged to curtail their operations. However, even without breakdowns no drinking water has been available for weeks in Turkmenbashi. If you do not fill a 500-liter tank with water, you can get into a big trouble since the local authorities are more concerned about the upcoming week of culture rather than ensuring that water is supplied to residential districts of the city.

After the summer heat had set in, voltagefluctuations were recorded in the municipalpower lines. As a result, refrigerators, airconditioners and other household applianceswere breaking down.It should be mentioned that of the eightforeign companies which in 2007 showed theirwillingness to invest their own funds toconstruct projects in the recreational zone,none is still operating. The last remainingcompany Itera, which launched theconstruction of an upmarket hotel with theirown funds, signed off the incompleteconstruction project to the Ministry of Defenseof Turkmenistan. This is yet more evidence ofhow unprofitable it is to invest equity capital inAvaza.However, the Turkmen authorities continue to“dig into the coastal sand” using millions andmillions of public funds for the celebration ofuseless festivities. ***Rumours are circulating in Turkmnebashi thatallegedly high-ranking distinguished guests,including President Putin of Russia, arescheduled to pay a visit to the upcomingfestivities. However, according to our sources,a working visit by the Russian President toTurkmenistan is scheduled to be held in lateAugust.256

257

SHIRIN POLATOVA receive a statement? - No problem at all! We will make an inquiry via the police and withinPlease confirm that the passport is yours 2-3 months the statement will be ready, and(6 May 2010) after that you will receive your new passport.The Migration Service of Turkmenistan, whichis charge of issuing new passports for travel Naturally, if there is no rush, one can wait 2-3abroad, keeps devising new tricks in order to months; however, it should be taken intohinder the procedure of issuing new passports account that all other necessary certificatesfor the country’s citizens. (residence permit, marriage certificate, military registration certificate, etc) are validA new reason for the process delay is the for a limited period of time only, normally onephoto on the last page of the old passport. month. The payment slip, which cannot beThe staff of all regional offices of the returned to the bank, and money for theMigration Service have become suspicious passport, not duly received, are valid 2that the photo in the passport does not months. By the time, the Migration Servicecoincide with the «original face» of the receives official confirmation that you are thepassport holder (the words of the staff of the «owner» of your passport, all statements andBalkanabad Migration Service, who named documents will have to be collected again,himself Batyr). Almost all applicants are being and fees of 30 manats for a new passport tosent to the Passport Office, which issued the be paid.passport, to receive a confirmation that youare the true «owner» of the passport. There are plenty of problems with receipt of the new passport apart from that.According to the Passport Office, such Furthermore, it is very difficult to find out inconfirmations have been issued. However, advance what is required for the applicationdue to the increased number of inquiries, they for a new passport.require the Migration Service to place anofficial request for each query. And only after The first problem is getting the telephonethat will a statement, printed on plain paper number of the Migration Service. Forand sealed, confirming that the «passport unknown reasons, city information call centersholder is the owner of the passport», be refuse to disclose the numbers of the Stateissued. Migration Service. It is hard to learn the reasons for the refusal, as the switchboardFrom the legal perspective, this statement is operator immediately hangs up after theabsurd. phrase «We do not provide such information».The staff of the Migration Service are trying tocalm down the people, who come back empty If someone manages to get the number,handed from the Passport Office: you did not another problem arises. While it was possible258 to get the list of the required documents or ask some questions on the phone, now the staff refuse to speak and render information per phone and request to come in person instead. Since it is impossible to check on basic issues on the phone, people have to pay significant sums for travelling to the regional offices of the Migration Service, which are located only in the velayat`s centers, so the residents of villages and other towns have to go there and normally more than once.

According to a resident from the Balkan of Osh, located in the south of Kyrgyzstan,velayat, he spent about 300 manats (over where mass violence and ethnic conflict$100) for several travels to the Migration erupted on Friday night, June 10. The femaleService based in Balkanabat. students are the first to flee the country.After having visited the office in person and According to CA-News.org, on June 13 anreceived a long list of required documents, estimated 223 students were evacuatedyou can go to collect the inquiries and whereas on June 14 two more flights Osh-statements. Ashgabat are scheduled to be operated. The airplanes sent in to evacuate the studentsIf you have collected all necessary documents were provided by the Turkmen side. Accordingfor a new passport but you hold dual to the same source, 840 Turkmen students areTurkmen-Russian or Turkmen-Turkish still being stuck in Osh, however the actualcitizenship (many people hold both Turkmen number of students exceeds 1000. A largeand Turkish passports), or you are a student, number of extramural students headed forwho is blacklisted, you will not receive any Osh late May and early June to sit for and takepassport. Neither will you receive any exams.explanation. According to the information we receivedHowever, even the people, who do not have from students and their parents, earlysuch «sins», after running from one office to morning on June 11 the staff members ofthe next for several months, often abandon Turkmenistan’s National Security Ministryany further attempts to receive a Turkmen called the students’ parents and asked thempassport for travel abroad. to provide their children’s telephone numbers and addresses.It might be that this is what the ever-complicating procedures, implemented by the Below is what Kurbangul (hereinafter allMigration Services, are aimed at: «Turkmens names have been changed) said: “About 11should not go abroad; they should rather sit at a.m. Berdy called me in the office and askedhome. It is safer». me to advise the telephone number and address of my son Murad in Osh. Keeping inTurkmen students evacuated (15 June mind that Berdy works for special services (we2010) live in a small town and word spreads quickly),For the first time in many years the Turkmen I asked why he requested this information. Hegovernment showed concern over the security replied that the mass violence broke out inof its citizens residing abroad. According to Osh and if the situation got worse, most likelyunofficial reports received from students and children would be evacuated. At that point Itheir parents, Turkmenistan sent in airplanes was not aware of the unrest and provided myto evacuate the Turkmen students in the city son’s contact details. Then I called Aisha, whose son is studying together with my son.259 She said that Berdy also called her and asked to provide her son’s contact details. Murad called home to appease me. He said that our students were going home in small groups and the unofficial representative informed them that they would be evacuated. Yesterday one plane already landed with only the girls aboard. We are expecting our son’s arrival in the upcoming days. We had no access to information, and I had to call Berdy hoping that he might know something. Berdy said: “Don’t worry, all students will be brought

home in the coming days”. Hopefully the neither the Embassy, nor the consulate officegovernment will help”. or even the permanent official representative of Turkmenistan is operating there. There areKarina, a female student from Osh, who the so-called informal representatives amongalready returned home, said that on Friday the heads of the Turkmen Diaspora orwhen the rioting broke out she was hiding in entrepreneurs, who settled down inan apartment on the outskirts of the city Kyrgyzstan. Often the Turkmen studentstogether with seven other people. “Since contact them with requests to resolve somethere is no Turkmenistan’s official problems. In time of peace suchrepresentation office in Kyrgyzstan, we did not representatives are very responsive andknow what to do. We called home and found accommodate any requests, help to prepareout from our parents that the security services the documents for the university admissionswere making queries about us. Usually such or assist with finding a job. However, it isnews is perceived cautiously but we were unlikely that they can be relied on duringoverwhelmed with joy because this inspired conflicts.hope that we will be evacuated. Yesterday oneof my friends received a phone call from her Moreover, not all students keep in touch withfellow student Andrey who told us to get these representatives. According to Karina,ready to head for the airport where the the main concern was they did not know whoairplane was waiting to take us back home. to contact and what to do. “This is not the firstAndrey gave us a lift to the airport, picking up outbreak of violence in Kyrgyzstan. During theonly the girls from the apartment. Today I revolution in Bishkek, nobody was concernedreceived a message from my friends who were about the fate of ours students. We werestaying with us at the apartment. They are confident that the same fate was in store fornow at the airport waiting for the departure. us. We thought we would be keeping a lowThe students kept a close contact with each profile and hide hoping for the better. Luckilyother by phone to share bits of information. one of our friends was acquainted with aYet, we did not know who and what to believe Turkmen entrepreneur who told him that thein until we boarded the plane”. students would be evacuated home. We have no clue how he found out about this”.The situation with regard to the Turkmenstudents enrolled in Bishkek universities It still remains unclear whether the evacuationremains unclear. According to the students, of students from Osh demonstrates that thethe Turkmen security services have not made authorities of Turkmenistan are notany queries about them and have not indifferent towards the fate of their citizens. Ifcontacted their parents so far. The staff this is the case the question arises: why weremembers of ACCELS (the program the students left to the mercy of fate duringadministering the program of studies for many the Tulip revolution in 2005 and May 2010Turkmen students in Kyrgyzstan warned the events? Why did nobody bother about themAUCA students to keep telephones with them back then? More importantly, will thein case D.C. or the US Embassy in Ashgabat students be able to resume their studies orissues an instruction to evacuate the students. will become refuseniks as their fellow students did last year?The main problem for the Turkmen citizens,especially students in Kyrgyzstan is that260

261

MERED RASHIDOV the Amu-Darja river” (newspaper “Neitralniy Turkmenistan” as of March 6, 2009).Large-scale gifts (9 March 2009)The French-based company “Bouygues” Based on the aforementioned developments,(“Bouygues Batiment International”) the President liked the gift and accepted it, ifpresented a gift to the President of several minutes after “accepting the gift” theTurkmenistan. Aware of his love for expensive car is referred to as the presidential car. Thiscars, the French businessmen knew what to implies that there is no reason to worry aboutpresent. They presented him with an exclusive the destiny of the Bouygues projects. Anyway,copy of the sports car “Mitsubishi Evolution X” Bouygues is contracted to execute the mostThis was done as an attempt to “reinforce” significant construction projects inthe President’s impression of the video clip Turkmenistan. The former and the incumbentthey demonstrated to him, outlining Bouygues Presidents gave Bouygues the exclusive rightplans to build new construction objects in to build all construction objects of stateTurkmenistan. Among the proposed objects importance. Moreover, the owner and thewere the new building of the international executive of the company Martin is receivedairport, the new Palace complex in the center at least once a year or even more often as aof Ashgabat, and the state-of-the-art multi- distinguished guest. It appears that Martintrack motor racing track shown from the Bouygues just wanted to please G.perspective of the presented gift. It is clear Berdymukhammedov.that that the total amount of constructioncontracts are expected to exceed several However, the context of the events, the highhundreds of millions of dollars. Therefore the profile personalities and the posts they take,sports car with an estimated value of about automatically turn them into players in the100 thousand dollars, presented as a gift, is of criminal case. In the overwhelming majority oflow value in comparison. countries such gifts are under the present circumstances unambiguously treated as casesThe Turkmen mass media describe the events of corruption. A constituent and an integralin the following manner: factor in corruption cases is a bribe, which was disseminated by the Turkmen mass media,“Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is at the and can be found in the Criminal Code ofwheel of the sports car and after the test run Turkmenistan.he heads for the motorway Mary-Turkmenabat. Here the car of the Turkmen Article 184 “acceptance of bribe” runs:President is joined by two racing cars. With 1. The acceptance of a bribe by a public officialthe engines roaring and at break-neck personally or via an intermediary as money,increasing speed, three cars headed towards securities or other property …. shall beTurkmenabat. After 140 kilometers, the races punished with a sentence of up to 8 years infinished at the symbolic gates of the city on prison with the deprived right to take certain positions or to be involved in a certain line of262 activity for a term of up to three years with or without confiscation of property. 2. The same wrongdoing committed : а) repeatedly; b) by a group of people by previous conspiracy or by an organized group of people; c) by an official holding a responsible position; d) with the extortion of bribery; e) on a large scale shall be punished with an imprisonment term of 5 to up to 15 years with or without confiscation of property.

Note Martin Bouygues should not be left aside, as1. the bribe is treated as large-scale if the article 185 of Turkmenistan’s Criminal Codeamount of money, the value of securities or “offering a bribe” provides for another property or property benefit exceeds imprisonment term of up to five years.one hundred times the average monthlywage. Although he could have escaped punishment,End of quotation. if, pursuant to the notes to article 185 of Turkmenistan’s Criminal Code, he had provedIn a nutshell, taking into account the public that the extortion of bribery took place, or ifnature of the committed crime, which does he had hurried to notify the investigationnot even require the evidence, officers about the bribery. However, the latterBerdymukhammedov is entitled to several is already impossible - the news has spread allyears imprisonment. Taking into consideration over Turkmenistan and its suburbs.that the citizen Berdymukhammedov is anofficial holding a responsible position, It is up to the French authorities to deal withpursuant to clause (c) of subsection 2 of article Martin. The fact of the bribe is so obvious that184 of the Turkmenistan Criminal Code, the Mr. Bouygues will be inevitably subjected tominimum sentence is 5 years imprisonment. both criminal persecution and public condemnation in France and Europe.The aggravating circumstance is that the bribe Moreover, his wrongdoing falls within thewas given on an especially large scale. As was purview of a number of internationallyquoted by the Turkmen mass media, the value accepted documents, including those whichof the presented “ultramodern racing car” is are designed to combat corruption.admittedly higher than one hundred times theaverage monthly wage of the Turkmenistani Regrettably one cannot state with certaintycitizens, then the bribe accepted as a gift falls about the inevitability of punishment for otherunder the “large-scale” category. players in this case. It is unlikely that it would occur to the Turkmen law-enforcementIt is difficult to imagine that the present event officers to initiate a criminal case in the case(the gift or, in other words, a bribe) had not of a bribe accepted by the President, even inbeen agreed by the French party with the staff public. Nevertheless, such idleness is alsomembers of the presidential administration. treated as abuse of office, which falls under aThis implies that the clause (b) of the number of articles in the chapter 24 “crimesaforementioned article - wrongdoing against justice” in the Turkmenistan Criminalcommitted by a group of people by previous Code.conspiracy or by the organized group ofpeople should appear in the final indictment. The businessman, set to win large contracts,It would be hard to prove other items of the gives a presentation of his projects and thenaforementioned article – the extortion of presents a high-ranking official with anbribery or its repeated nature, but what the expensive car while the event is filmed byentire country watched on TV or read in the national television and covered extensively innewspapers would be enough for a minimum the mass media and Internet. Furthermore,of 10 years imprisonment. This applies only to these events are presented by the nationalthe citizen Berdymukhammedov. Other mass media as a matter of course. Moreover,players in the case may be held responsible under Turkmen conditions this fact meanspursuant to article 186 – intermediary in that other businesses operating in the countrybribery, clause 2 of which envisages an are “recommended” to offer similar gifts toimprisonment term of five to ten years, if the the President. Sufficient is to recall an episodewrongdoing was committed by a public when businesses operating in Turkmenistan orofficial, which the staff members of the willing to get orders in Turkmenistan werePresidential Administration are. competing to publish the book “Rukhnama” authored by Niyazov in foreign languages in263

order to please him. The second President at completely differently by different groups ofthe expense of foreign gifts will be respondents.replenishing his personal fleet of expensivecars. It should be mentioned that foreign The Turkmen authorities proclaimed a newcompanies are fortunate that époque in the history of the country –Berdymukhammedov prefers cars to airplanes «Époque of the New Renaissance». The veryor ships. title implies improvements in all spheres of the state’s politics: foreign, internal, social,As regards the law, which is being violated by public, economic, etc. Moreover, the Turkmenthe country’s leaders and various visiting authorities started talking about human rightsbusinessmen, the above case along with many coupled with democracy. In the heat of theother cases is a vivid example of how low the moment, they even referred to the slogancountry’s President rates the law, if dares to «State for the citizens». However, after aaccept bribes during a live broadcast. while, the state propaganda came to its senses and added: «… and citizens for the«Sacred cow» of the Turkmen authorities. state». This essential amendment reflects theFor the Freedom of Press day (6 May true view the Turkmen authorities take with2009) regard to such trifles as human rights and the basic principles of democracy.«Those, who wear blinders, should rememberthat reins and a whip come also in a set» At once, «true improvements in the field ofStanislav Eji Lets democracy and human rights» in Turkmenistan started to be praised by theWhen I was asked to write an article on the Western politicians as well, even by those whosituation regarding freedom of the mass used to take an uncompromisingly negativemedia in Turkmenistan, at first I decided to stand toward everything related to the politicsrefuse. What is the point of writing about of the Turkmen authorities, be it compliancethings, which do not exist? Furthermore, very with human rights standards or the strategy ofthorough research and publications with Turkmenistan’s cooperation on gas issues withdetailed statistics have already been released Russia and China.on this issue and several professionaljournalism organizations are regularly Human rights organizations alone are trying tomonitoring the current status. However, some find at least some hints of positiverecent events made me change my mind and improvements in the country. They have beendecide to write the article that you find below. trying hard; however, they have failed to findThe question as to what actual differences any. In talks with the Turkmen authorities,have occurred in Turkmenistan since the new some organizations are using flattery byPresident’s rise to power can be answered saying that something finally needs to be done264 about human rights; and we know that you are able to do it. However, apart from the series of insignificant facts which can hardly be considered as «democratic progress», nothing can be added to the democratic and legal assets of the Turkmen authorities. Alas. What can be done at this point and how can actual changes in Turkmen society, and not only in Turkmen one, be assessed? In this case, freedom of the mass media can serve as a starting point for the assessment. This was the practice in the USSR and countries of

Eastern Europe. This was the practice in Iran In general, the Turkmen authorities havewhen Iranian «liberals» were rising to power… several «sacred cows», which will be in no case subjected to any transformation sinceAgain, alas! Comparisons, made with the they represent the stem, or the backbone, ofsituation of the mass media during Niyazov’s the present-day regime. No matter howera of 3-5 years ago, including newspapers, TV tempting the offers of the Westernand radio show that all practices of the old life democracies may be, the Turkmen authoritieshave been brought forward into the present- will never sacrifice their principles and will notday; the difference is only in the name of the give any of these «cows» to the slaughter.state’s leader, and the constant reminder that Never!the «Époque of the ever Great SaparmuratTurkmenbashi» has been replaced by the Among these «cows», one can list the secrets«Époque of the New Renaissance». All the rest behind this information, such as the true datahas not undergone significant on the gas supplies in the territory oftransformations. Turkmenistan; the state budget, or, to be more precise, the true data on the sums ofThe same personality cult, the same praising foreign currency transfer for exported gas andand niceties, public President’s reprimands of the true storage place for this money; as wellgovernmental officials, endless celebrations, as the location and detention conditions ofdemonstrations, high achievements on the political prisoners.labor front and diplomatic level, eternalthanks to the President from aqsaqals, Among these, there is also a «cow» calledpreschool kids, school students, teachers, oil «mass media», which the authorities willworkers, river sailors, seamen, bus (trolleybus, never ever allow to be free and independent.airplane, etc.) drivers, scientific researchers, Otherwise, the free and independent presshorse breeders (especially), weavers, spinners, will immediately ask the authorities about thearchivists, notaries, singers, musicians, true gas supplies, about the amount of moneydancers and the rest of the Turkmen people. paid to the state budget for the exported gas,The degree of the absolute ideology of about the expediency of some absurdpaternalism is no different from that of construction projects or other inexplicable butNiyazov`s times. not less absurd state expenditures, about the incompetence of state officials, about theSo the new Turkmen authorities have not detention conditions in Turkmen prisons,really passed the test for the implementation bribes at the customs, state commodityof their democratic intentions. And all the exchange, at universities, kindergartens andWestern officials, who have been singing schools and on bribery in general, about thedemocratic hosanna to Berdymukhamedov, rights of national minorities, about the big lieare playing a game and simply lying. They regarding the so-called «free and available»need Turkmen gas. And democracy, human Internet, the «black lists» of those who arerights and freedom of press have become just banned from exiting the country, about thea small factor in the gas business. And they personality cult …One can list all this withoutshould realize that all advances, given to the an end.Turkmen authorities in the hope for mutualconcession, are not perceived by the latter in So the question of when Turkmenistan willthis way! They are perceived not as an finally have free press can be answeredadvance for future democratic concession but shortly and unambiguously – never. Because ifas payment for that already done! And in fact, the press is allowed to be free andnothing has been done. Anyone, who looks at independent, the regime will break the verythe newspapers from Niyazov`s time and the backbone, which supports the regime. It ispresent-day media, can easily see this. easier for the authorities to lie and conceal all problems in the state and society than to265 allow for an open discussion. To lie to the

people and to the international community. That is why, when passing through customs atThe whole thing is very simple. Ashgabat airport, the customs officer keeps asking the same question: «Do you have anyOne more thing to be noted: our authorities forbidden or explosive materials in yourare as much in love with themselves as is luggage?» Although the most explosivephysically possible and are so confident in material, which discredits the entire politicaltheir infallibility that any criticism is system of Turkmenistan, is the Turkmen pressconsidered a «betrayal of the motherland», itself that writes on all things possible but not«betrayal of the people», even though they on what is of true interest for the society.under-personify both of these. The regimelacks legitimacy; it has no support of the That is why the Turkmen authorities strictlypeople and society. So the authorities do not refuse to issue entry visas to the independenttrust their people, the same way as the people journalists and representatives of foreigndo not trust the authorities. mass media. Those, who are allowed to enter, are put under strict surveillance and areThat is why the Turkmen authorities retain the shown only the achievements of the Turkmenoverall control of the Internet: they block authorities while are not allowed to learn ofwebsites, which are «undesirable» for the any problematic issues. And all Turkmenusers, and control all electronic citizens, who dare to meet foreign journalists,communication. When a staff member of the are placed on black lists by the specialcompany, which holds the monopoly in services, the titles of which vary fromproviding Internet services, was asked when «unreliable» to «betrayers of thethe connection speed in Turkmenistan would motherland».finally be faster, he answered that hiscompany is capable of increasing the speed. That is why the Turkmen authorities will neverHowever, the capacity of the computers of the allow any foreign TV and radio channels to beMinistry of National Security, which filter all broadcast live or the re-broadcasting, even ifincoming and outgoing e-mails and monitor all the channel is entertaining. In the past, forvisits to the websites run by the «enemies», this very reason, all Turkish and Russian TVdoes not allow for this. channels were banned; the Mayak radio station was the last to fall.That is why the authorities still ban freesubscription for the citizens to foreign That is why the Turkmen authorities have setnewspapers and magazines. A high-profile up a real hunt for those whom they suspect toadvertising campaign on the existence of such be writing or may potentially write for foreignsubscription is a new lie. The subscription is mass media. By intimidating them and theirallowed only upon a special order of the family members, putting the bans to exit thePresident for a period of six months and country, exerting psychological pressure andexclusively for the state organizations. These phone tapping, the authorities are silencingnewspapers and magazines are still the last voices of common sense, which haveunavailable for the ordinary people. not yet lost their minds in a country of eternal absurdities.That is why almost immediately after his riseto power, Berdymukhamedov commenced the And all these «that is why…» should be takenfight against satellite aerials, which were in into account by all, especially Westernfact the only information window to the free diplomats and politicians, who giving advanceworld. It was only the indignation and praise to the Turkmen authorities andinterference of the Western diplomats and personally to the Presidentpoliticians that made the authorities back Berdymukhamedov. There will never bedown, though the process of antennae democracy or free press in Turkmenistan! Anddismantling is quietly underway now too. American and European officials should see this and be prepared for potential questions266

from Western human rights activists and Ashgabat to Bombay, there will be a criminalWestern society in general. But this will be offence found for you as well as a prison cell.later; now all politicians are trying to do is get Similarly, they can find a free bed in atheir hands on Turkmen gas. psychiatric hospital for you and a drug addict high on drugs may stab you with his knife. ***The absolutely deplorable state of Turkmen ***journalism is very depressing. Called to the Bringing my opus on the topic of freedom ofideological front in the early 1990s to create press in Turkmenistan to an end and searchingthe ideology of bashism, the Turkmen for the words for an epilogue, I wanted tojournalists not only lost their qualifications; quote Julius Fucik «People, stay alert!». Yet, Ithey learnt to think in terms of ideological realized that this will be only affected pathos.stamps only. All dissidents were sacked from These things are an open secret. Those, whotheir jobs, arrested and killed. Many, in order want to be deceived, will be deceived.to retain their dignity, embarked on other Intimidated Turkmen journalists have fearedoccupations and the majority of them just left for their own shadow for a long time, whilethe country. And the recently opened «vigilant» Western democrats do not caredepartment of journalism in the National about freedom of the press in TurkmenistanUniversity can hardly improve the situation as and Turkmen authorities have made it veryin the first place it again trains soldiers for the clear that there is no room for freedoms in theideological front. Foreign lecturers of the OSCE country and they will keep the set of actionworkshop on journalism, held a month ago in measures as a reserve for future. EveryoneTurkmenistan, were shocked by the low level knows everything and things are clear forof qualifications and the degree of critical everyone…thinking of Turkmen journalists. According to atrainer, only the North Korean press is lower Hannen Swaffer, an English journalist,in terms of freedom. described the English press in a humorous fashion: «In Britain, freedom of the pressThe last of the Mohicans of the Turkmen means the freedom to print those prejudicesjournalism should also not relax. If you have of the proprietor that the advertisers don’tstill never been arrested and no search of your object to». In Turkmenistan, the proprietor ofPC has been conducted at home, this in no the newspapers and their advertisers areway means that you have been forgotten. The represented by the same person – theauthorities simply do not need additional President.problems with Western human rightsdefenders, officials and diplomats at the It was, it is and it will remain so. This willmoment. The desire of the Turkmen regime to continue as long as the Turkmen people allowget a chain of gas to Europe is too important it to do so.to quarrel with Europeans and Americansbecause of such filth.However, as soon as the first long-termcontracts for gas supplies are signed and assoon as the first pipe is installed or, Lordforbid, on the contrary the signing of suchcontracts goes wrong, be sure they will bethere again for you! It does not matter whatyou will be accused of – non-payment of apenalty for crossing the street in anappropriate place, production and storage ofdrugs, production and dissemination ofpornography, or digging a tunnel from267

Hello Europe, America, hello! (2 June of all democratic ratings, together with North2009) Korea and Myanmar.Back in 1993, when the nationalists led byZhirinovskiy won the elections to the Russian Observing Western politicians, it appears thatState Duma, one of the fathers of perestroika, European parliamentarians believe that theYuriy Karyakin, the writer and publicist, situation with human rights and democracy infrantically exclaimed «Russia, you are out of Turkmenistan has considerably improved. Ityour mind!» would be interesting to know how these representatives of democratic Europe foundWatching how European officials make out about those improvements and changes.advances to the Turkmen authorities, thehand wants to reach out for a telephone, call Was it enough to have one look out of theEurope and say something similar. window of a limousine that drove them through the streets of Ashgabat? Because ALLYes, rather! One of the most totalitarian human rights organizations repeat over andcountries of the world is courted by those who over again that there are no material changesshould be protecting all conceivable towards a better situation with human rightsdemocratic principles and standards and and democracy in Turkmenistan. Not onlyimplicitly follow them in their own politics, does the country not want to lose its past, onwhich embody the politics of a democratic the contrary, the Turkmen authoritiesEurope. continue embodying the «bashism» ideology, which is a Turkmen variation of Nazism. TheIt is clear that in the Realpolitik, which personality cult of former president NiyazovWestern authorities are too busy playing, was replaced by the personality cult of thethere are not and cannot be stable principles. current president Berdymukhamedov. By theBut this should not be to the point that they way, even that can be seen from the windowprejudice and discredit by their own behavior of a diplomatic limousine.the propagated democracy standards andhuman rights! The situation is getting so absurd that one has doubts about the adequacy of WesternThe principles of Europe’s Realpolitik in the diplomats’ real life assessments. It is enoughTurkmen context became extremely to just look through the Turkmen press andmercenary; so much that the display of double watch Turkmen television to get evidence ofstandards in the area of democracy and that. By the way, all Turkmen mass media arehuman rights is not being concealed per se by still owned by the government, same asthe main officials of the European Union. before. Moreover, the president is still theEuropean officials’ strong desire to obtain founder, or, in other words, the owner, of allaccess to Turkmen gas already has maniacal newspapers. Is this not an indicator offeatures. Human rights are used as small democratic changes? Turkmen citizens are notchange, which the European bureaucrats are even allowed to receive newspapers fromgoing to pay Turkmen dictatorship. abroad. There is no permission from the state authorities for that.The European Parliament lifted a ban on theinterim trade agreement with Turkmenistan, Lectures on Niyazov’s book «Rukhnama» arewhich lasted for more than 10 years. During all still given in educational institutions; it isthis time there was a consensus among somewhat a Turkmen ersatz of «Chuchkhe»European politicians that it was indecent to do and «Mein Kampf», a mix of myths andbusiness with Niyazov and his regime. The propaganda of national exceptionality.country had scandalous human rights Amnesty International in its last report drawsviolations, and independent evaluations of all attention to the fact that there are stillstate and public institutions kept (and still displays of racism in very sophisticated ways.keep) Turkmenistan at the bottom of the lists One of the examples is when in order to get a268

job in the government one must confirm their standards, with the help of own officials, theTurkmen blood purity for three generations! West is practicing the politics ofFor these reasons a special and standard act neocolonialism.exists which is still in effect and has not beenabolished yet. The same can be said about the The West is interested in conservation andlaw declaring a person a «Motherland retention of the Turkmen regime as «stable»betrayer» and «an enemy of the people» if he in relation to politics, and as a stable gasor she has any slight doubts about the supplier. The West does not care at all aboutrightness of the policies carried out by the people in Turkmenistan, which has fallen intopresident. a totalitarian trap. Nor does it care that money for gas, which will come into theCollective and united punishment is still country, will be spent in large part towidely used; this means when one person gets strengthen this totalitarian regime. Money willconvicted all his relatives and close people never reach Turkmen citizens, as it never didend up in prison as well. This is done in order during Niyazov times – the money willto make the punishment even heavier, while it accumulate in Western bank accounts of theis not important how guilty the «criminal» is Turkmen authorities.and all the more, his relatives; such criminalcases are fabricated by authorities. Such type Until now we still have not heard any clearof punishment was widely used during the and definite demands to the Turkmen officialstimes of Stalin’s repressions, or in Hitler’s from politicians that represent Europe aboutGermany, which is better known in Europe. human rights observance and regimeRelatives who were left free are usually also transformation towards a more democraticdeprived of many rights, such as they lose side. Although a whole caravan of Westerntheir jobs, get thrown out of schools and bureaucrats and politicians has already visiteduniversities and most often lose their homes. Turkmenistan, and Turkmen officials are always welcomed in Europe on the highestTurkmenistan has not fulfilled the OSCE level, there is not a single word aboutdemands of the «Moscow mechanism», which democracy and human rights in Turkmenistanwas for the first and the last time in practice at those meetings!used particularly for Turkmenistan. It wasparticularly mass repressions in Turkmenistan The hand wants to reach out for thethat made the OSCE launch this extraordinary telephone…mechanism. Now the OSCE and Turkmenistanare pretending there was never any «Hello, Europe! Are you out of your mind?»accusation of the former to the latter and thatthey actually never existed!So what do we have? Evading its owndemocratic principles and human rights269

AARON RHODES regardless of the policies of the State; it is the obligation of the State to honour and protectTurkmenistan Faces Second UN Human those rights, but it is highly questionable if theRights Review (10 January 2013) State has the capacity to “broaden” thoseThe United Nations Human Rights Council will rights.) She stressed that “Turkmenistan is aexamine Turkmenistan’s human rights record socially oriented state.”in late April or early May 2013. Hopefully theresults will be more edifying than when the During the discussions that followed, 35country was first reviewed under the delegations took the floor. This is aUniversal Periodic Review procedure in significantly low participation in the review ofDecember 2008. a UN member that has among the worst human rights records in the world. ByAt that time, a delegation led by Dr. Shirin comparison, when Japan was reviewed inAkhmedova appeared in Geneva for the 2012, about 80 states made interventions.“interactive dialogue” to answer questions Japan generally respects human rights, andfrom representatives of other governments, while numerous delegations complainedbased on Turkmenistan’s National Report, on about use of the death penalty there, mostdocumentation about compliance with United used the opportunity to praise Japan for itsNations human rights treaties, and on a support of UN institutions.summary of reports from civil societyorganizations. Fourteen NGOs made Some UN members tried to hold the Turkmensubmissions about Turkmenistan, including delegation accountable for abuses of humanAmnesty International, Human Rights Watch, rights. Ten delegations openly criticizedand the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights Turkmenistan for abuses of human rights(TIHR). defenders, a politicized judiciary, corruption, poor women’s and children’s rightsAccording to the official UN records, Dr. protections, trafficking in human beings, and many other problems. Other delegationsAkhmedova “declared unwavering made anodyne bureaucratic interventions about technical compliance issues. But theimplementation of the international majority of delegations that intervened praised Turkmenistan, focusing especially onobligations undertaken by the State.” She “reforms.” Not a single delegation mentioned that under the country’s rulers, hospitals havesaid Turkmenistan “is carrying out broad and been closed, epidemics like tuberculosis have been ignored, and medical standards haveimportant reforms in education, health, social been debased in an effort to pretend there are no health problems, although informationsecurity, in the legal sphere and in improving about these problems was made available to UN members.the well-being of people, including those living Turkmenistan is one of the least free states onin remote areas of the country.” She said “the earth, where basic civil and political rights are not recognized. Its citizens live in isolation,rights and freedoms of the citizens of and the international community has little knowledge of the real situation. It is one ofTurkmenistan have been broadened.” (The the handful of states around the world, including Iran and North Korea, that denylast point is a bit odd, given that the people international NGOs access. The 2008 UN review of the country did not reflect thisliving in Turkmenistan have human rights reality. In terms of international concern, it clearly showed that few states are ready to270

criticize Turkmenistan (the United States did Since 2008, Turkmenistan has taken furthernot even bother to intervene), and that steps to burnish its international façade.Turkmenistan has many friends around the More Potemkin-village type “reforms” haveworld that will stand behind and legitimate its been made, and no doubt, when the countryclumsy assertions about human rights and once more comes before the United Nationsreforms. Human Rights Council, these will be presented and praised. At the same time, over the pastAt the end of the 2008 review, Turkmenistan four years, UN human rights machinery hasdid accept several recommendations to abide increasingly focused on social and economicby its legal obligation to respect the freedom rights and so-called “Third Generation Rights”of expression, the rights of non-governmental that require long- term, positive state actionsorganizations, religious freedom and the to implement, and where the state can alwaysfreedom of movement. These are the texts of show good intentions. The space forrecommendations Turkmenistan accepted: consideration of fundamental civil and political rights, without which the people ofTo take effective measures to allow Turkmenistan will remain hostages to theindependent non-governmental organizations whims of their rulers, has further contracted.to register and work freely (Poland); to reformthe registration process to make it easier for All the same, it can only be hoped that inorganizations to register and work freely 2013, a few members of the United Nations(Netherlands); to ensure that members of civil will again see beyond the brazensociety are allowed, free of harassment, to pronouncements of Turkmen diplomats andmeet with representatives of foreign media ask them why, after four long and dark years,and Governments and international the OSCE participating State has no free press,organizations (Germany); To adopt adequate and no independent civil society; why religiousmeasures for the protection and promotion of groups still face restrictions and citizensreligious freedom, in order to ensure effective cannot freely move and immigrate. If they do,freedom of worship for all religious perhaps a few of those inside the country,communities (Italy); to take measures to grant who find ways to penetrate the informationeffective and unhindered enjoyment of the blockade, will at least know that, under thefreedom of religion (Germany); To fully thick blanket of hypocrisy covering humanrespect the rights of everyone to be free to rights discourse, a small ray of hope remainsleave and return to their own country, in for a free and democratic state.conformity with article 12 of the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights to whichTurkmenistan is party (Norway)271

NAZAR SAPAROV rule introduced by some school administrations.Turkmenistan Gets Ready For the NewAcademic Year (18 July 2007) “Our principal has purchased bundles ofIt looks like the Turkmenistan’s education fabrics in the market and now demands thatreform, constantly referred to by the all the parents buy the fabric from him,President and hailed by teachers, parents and although the market price for such fabric isschoolchildren, is underway. Yet, not in the twice cheaper”, says a mother of twosame manner it has originally been planned. daughters, who attend school №10. “A collarHalf a month from now a new academic year with the national embroidery pattern is also awill start, and the new requirements are being must, as if a collar can help to build up orshaped. Regrettably, they are not committed degrade a child’s knowledge”.to improve the quality of education and ratherfocus on minor issues. Thus teachers, It seems that the newly-imposedregardless of their ethnicity, effective requirements on the dress code for teachersSeptember 1 are supposed to come to work in and schoolchildren are aimed at distractingthe traditional Turkmen dresses. Besides, attention from the key things and nothere is a requirement to wear extra long education reform has been implemented insleeves and head kerchiefs. No written the country. During summer the Ministry ofresolutions are available, yet, the school Education failed to accomplish the objectivesprincipals in the Dashoguz velayat set by the President at the end of the previouscommunicated this oral instruction to their academic year. It is witnessed with the criticalstaff. We failed to find out whether this remarks addressed to the Minister at a recentinitiative has been launched by the Ministry of cabinet meeting with regard to new textbooksEducation or by the velayat department of printed on low quality paper. Having seen hisEducation. portrait in one of such textbook, G. Berdymukhammedov demanded to replace“I am infuriated by this new requirement!” his image with the portraits of hissays an annoyed primary school teacher predecessor, the country’s first president S.working in one of the city schools. “Being Niyazov.Russian, why should I put on a Turkmen dresswith long sleeves on a hot September day and Instead of changing the curriculum anddress myself with a kerchief which I never supplying the kindergartens with new bookswear?! What a ridiculous resolution!” and teacher’s manuals the most “burning” issue is under discussion in the pre-schoolSchool uniforms and guidelines on fabric educational institutions – whether to retainselection for dresses also spark irritation, the “Turkmenbashi’s corners” or not. If not, what they should be substituted with.272 “We have been instructed to take away portraits of the former president along with his family tree and books authorized by him and replace them with new things”, says a child-minder with a child day care centre in one of the country’s northern etraps. – At the weekend I set everything on fire light- heartedly. Coming back to work on Monday the manager instructed us to bring everything back saying it was a premature move on our side... And now I am begging the colleagues to share whatever information they have on Turkmenbashi”.

Originally, the reform was designed to to those during the middle of last winterfacilitate significant changes in education, rather than the middle of Turkmen fall. Let usintroduce new textbooks and subjects in the look at the Dashoguz bazaars to examine thecurriculum, employ innovative teaching situation.methods and approaches, simplify the schooluniform requirements etc. However it turns While the famous Dashoguz rice which isout that the major focus is on entourage. I am commonly used for cooking plov both intemped to ask a question: what is your reform Ashgabat and in other Turkmen provinces onlyabout, dear education officials? cost 8-9 thousand manats last spring, it now costs 15-16 thousand manats. Yet, the price ofP.S. When the article has been finalized, sad the most expensive sort of rice which is alsonews about a suicide committed by the called «khan rice» increased to 25 thousand!mother of four children was brought from Plov which is common during any kind ofDashoguz. According to the neighbors, this festivity is now very expensive. Carrots cost 4-family has been impoverished for a long time. 5 thousand mantas. Only a couple of years agoA drug addicted unemployed husband and a 3 kilograms of carrots could be purchased forjobless mother were dependant on their 1 thousand manats. Oil is also getting moreeldest daughter who works as a pot-washer in expensive: 1,5 liter bottle of cotton oil nowone of the city’s restaurants earning 25 dollars costs 25 thousand manats. Most peoplea month. The last straw to break camel’s back cannot afford the sunflower oil imported fromwas a reminder from younger children to buy Russia and Iran: A one liter bottle now costsnew school uniform which the family could 50 thousand manats which is equivalent to anot afford. The mother, spilling kerosene over kilogram of fresh beef.herself, burst into flame... 95% of burns didnot leave doctors any chances to rescue the Recently due to the increase in costs of thepoor woman. above listed products necessary for cooking plov, buckwheat porridge with meat goulashTurkmen plov and the economics of started being served instead at tois (weddingTurkmenistan (28 October 2007) celebrations and other festivities). ForAs soon as the Turkmen authorities promised Turkmen it does not make sense to have toisan increase in salaries starting in the new year, without plov; however, this is the reality.the bazaars raised the prices for most of the While buckwheat is more expensive than ricefood products, fruit, vegetables and greens. (22000 manats per kilogram), smaller amountsThe prices of the October market with its of it are used for cooking.abundance of fruit and vegetables are similar In order to feed 200 persons (an average273 number of guests at Turkmen tois), no more than 15 kg of buckwheat are needed while 50 kg of rice would be required for the same number of guests. 50 kg of rice will cost 750000 manats whereas 15 kg of buckwheat cost 330000 manats. Thus, 420000 manats are saved. In addition, plov requires 20 kg of carrots which also costs now, in the harvesting season, 4-5 thousand manats but used to increase to 15000. Carrots are not added to the buckwheat porridge. Onions will also be needed only for meat gulаsh - stewed meat cut into thin slices with sauce. Normally, each guest is served a plate of buckwheat and 2-3 pieces of meat, so much less meat is required for this dish.

Meanwhile, plov at crowded Turkmen tois has With the increase in prices, the quality ofbecome an indicator of the prosperity of those agricultural products has become worse.holding the celebrations. And, as was Tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes havementioned above, plov is served very become impossible to store – they becomeseldomly. rotten within 2-3 days. This means that one cannot buy them for future use, i.e. until theEvery family has additional food in order not next increase in prices.to be taken unawares by unexpected guests.This includes raisons, salty apricot stones and Meanwhile, the exchange rate with the dollarpeanuts. Just a few months ago these cost 30 rose to 25 thousand manats on the blackthousand manats; last year – 25 thousand. market while in September it was 23700Now the prices have risen to 45 thousand! manats. According to the «currencyAnd this is not due to the poor yield: there are exchangers», there were rumours that thereplenty of peanuts; however, prices have risen would be a money reform in 2009. The market1,5 times. prices will allegedly increase several times. The question is how the current prices atAnd what table is without a salad? Yet, salads bazaars and the money reform which has notare also expensive! One kilogram of even been officially announced are linked withcucumbers can be bought at the Dashoguz each other?bazaars for 10-13 thousand manats. Tomatoesare getting more costly every day; their price «I cannot afford much with my 840now varies from 3000 for unripe tomatoes to thousand», says an elderly retired woman4000 for ripe ones. A small bunch of green asking about the price of rice. «I would ratheronion or parsley costs 1 thousand manats. The buy broken grain which only costs 6 thousand.price for a small piece of garlic starts at 2,5 Unfortunately, I cannot cook plov with thatthousand manats. It seems that all this is but…».being imported from far away and not beinggrown here under the hot Turkmen sun where The notion of «consumer goods basket» doesthe yields are harvested more than once a not exist in Turkmenistan. Neither the Stateyear. Statistics Committee which collects processes and analyses the statistical data on economicAnd what is happening with the prices for fruit development, nor the Institute of Strategicand water and sugar melons?! Apples which Planning and Economic Development which isshould cost not more than 5-6 thousand responsible for drafting scientific economicmantas now cost 15-18 and even 20 forecasts and proposals on the issues of thethousand! It should be noted that Persian, i.e. economic development of the countryimported apples, are cheaper than local ones. develop the minimum sets of foodstuffs. Affordability of Turkmen plov for theThis year sugar melons are sold in Dashoguz population remains the only reference pointper kilogram. They used be sold per piece and on this issue.melons were the most popular and affordableproduct. A small sugar melon of 2-3 kg nowcosts up to 30 thousand.The prices for potatoes range from 7 to 13thousand manats. These are getting moreexpensive every year, yet last winter prices didnot exceed 10 thousand mantas. However,winter has not arrived yet. Only cabbageremains relatively cheap: 2,5-3 thousandmanats per kilogram.274

Anniversary of that very day (23 monetary reform in 2009, as this has onlyDecember 2007) made people nervous».This coming Friday Turkmenistan is going tomark the first anniversary of the death of the «I do not consider the return of pensions tofirst country’s President Saparmurat Niyazov. the elderly population and the introduction of 10 year schooling reformatory policies of theWhat has been changed during the one year new President. If the president introduced 11without Turkmenbashi? Is the politics of the or 12 years of education as practiced in manynew President truly reformatory as stated by CIS countries, then this would be seen as alocal mass media? Do the people feel that a reform of the education system. Regarding thenew life has begun? Our correspondents pensions, justice has simply been restored forasked different people in towns and rural the elderly, and we should call spade a spadeareas these same questions. The answers and not make things up which do not exist inwere as follows. reality», says a journalist of the velayat`s newspaper.«I think a lot has been changed», says ageography teacher of the etrap`s school in the «There are rumors that starting from the newDashoguz velayat. «Namely, Niyazov`s year, all medical treatment facilities willportraits have disappeared (unfortunately, restore those departments which werethey were replaced by portraits of previously abolished, for instance, baby unitsBerdymukhammedov). The Rukhnama is less in hospitals. If this really happens, it can onlyindoctrinated now but I fear that it will soon be welcomed as new work places will bebe replaced by the books of the new created and the health care specialists whopresident. Close relatives of Turkmenbashi are are currently unemployed or engaged in otherhardly visible anymore and flowers are no business will be in demand», says anlonger placed on their monuments as was the obstetrician-gynecologist from Mary.case in the recent past». «I am not sure if this can be regarded as«Little has altered over the last year», says a reformatory policies of Gurbangeldyretired woman from Dashoguz, Russian by Myakigkulyevich or something else, but theorigin. «This is particularly true with regard to increased interest in our state expressed byfood supplies, primarily bread and flour. the international community cannot but makeQueues to buy bread have remained; flour is me happy», says a retired man fromalso sold in rations while expensive flour Kunyaurgench who used to hold a highimported from Kazakhstan can be purchased ranking post in the Ministry of Waterwithout a problem. There is no abundance of Management. «While the authorities havegoods in the shops, the prices are on the rise built up a wall, banned everyone from goingand things have got even worse in this outside this wall and only seldom wentrespect. They should not have talked about outside themselves, look at the situation now: an international event is held in Ashgabat275 practically every day, foreign journalists come to report on these and we get the chance to leave and represent our country abroad. Of course, this makes me very happy!» «We were once again allowed to receive dual Turkmen-Russian citizenship in the order of parents-children, grandparents-grandchildren, husband-wife», says a young woman queuing at the Russian Embassy in Ashgabat. «Those who failed to do this under Turkmenbashi can do it now».

«My husband and I returned to our home a family member in towns and 6 kg in villages.country last summer after graduating in Despite the fact that a bag of flour which costsMoscow», says a young woman with a 80 thousand manats is sold at 135 thousand indoctor’s diploma. «The death of rural shops, the people do not say anything asTurkmenbashi engendered a hope that the it is still cheaper than at the market.new President would employ qualified doctorsand we would get a good job in Turkmenistan. «Bread is the most essential food for most Turkmen families. And while the situation withHowever, after so much time nothing has regard to bread and flour supplies remainschanged and we are still not needed. Our unchanged, the President and his press canfriends who are nearing their graduation in talk all day long about successful reforms: theRussian universities ask us whether they people will not believe him anyway», says ashould come back home to stay in Russia and resident of the Duechi village of the Dashoguzwe certainly discourage them from coming velayat.back: to come to Turkmenistan with a Russiandiploma means staying at home without a job Rumours give rise to boom (18 Marchor selling goods at the market. So why study 2008)six years and more? It is a pity that our Turkmenistani citizens are concerned withcountry does not need our knowledge, energy new rumors about the increase of air ticketand willingness to work». prices.«You talk about «a feeling of a new life and Because of this, in Dashoguz people crowdfreedom»... Nothing of the sort! We, teachers, around at the only booking office which sellscontinue to be taken advantage of as was air tickets for international flights: they buyalways the case in our country. Who is sent to tickets for different flights, mostly for theharvest cotton? Teachers. Who has to meet three most popular routes: Ashgabat-Moscow,the president? Teachers. Who has to work at Ashgabat-Istanbul and Ashgabat-Abu-Dhabi.subbotniks? Teachers. Furthermore, we arerequired to subscribe to the Turkmen press to «I cannot understand what gives rise to suchincrease the newspapers circulation. An rumors», says a cashier selling tickets forincrease of 40% in our salaries is in practice international travel surprisingly. «We worknot paid as it is deducted for various social here but are not aware about the increase ofneeds», this opinion can be confirmed by the ticket prices whilst people seem to knowdifferent teachers of urban and rural schools even the exact prices!»both from the Dashoguz and Lebap velayats. Unfortunately, such «awareness» cannotThe overall mood in society is similar to the develop without grounds.current weather: grey, depression, no sun andno snow. Even the forthcoming New Year «Back in early February I bought a ticket toholidays cannot raise the mood. People queue Moscow for the end of August for myup at the shops three hours in advance daughter who is a student», says Elmira, awaiting for «Chorek» (bread) van to arrive. resident of Dashoguz. «Nobody knows whatTeenagers, even small children, the elderly will happen if you do not buy the ticket half aand disabled, mothers of many children are year in advance! They say, a return ticket willthose who badly need to buy bread at the low cost 13 mln manats».fixed prices. However, the bread supplies arenever sufficient and people go home glum. In January, the change of the official dollarSome of them go the market to buy the same rate was accountable for the rumors aboutsort of bread but 1,5 times more expensive. the increase of ticket prices. Those concerned with this issue in a panic calculated how muchOnce a week, urban and rural citizens queue a ticket to Moscow would increase comparedup to get their monthly ration of flour: 4 kg for276

to the pre-New Year cost. Tickets which had cashier office did not issue any tickets at allbeen anyway expensive for Turkmenistan until the limited amount of air ticket slipscitizens further increased by 70000 manats, so arrived.presently a one-way ticket costs 2440500manats while a return ticket costs 4608000 «Whenever I come to the booking office, themanats. This is the equivalent of $ 233 by amount of tickers allotted for the entire day iscommercial exchange rate of manat to the US always taken by a representative of thedollar. As a comparison: a return ticket for a Dashoguzsyjahat Agency», says a schoolflight on Russian airlines “S7” costs teacher. «The cashiers always say the same toTurkmenistani citizens just $ 9,5 more; the indignation of their passengers: it is due tohowever, there are no queues in their them that we make our revenues. And nobodyAshgabat-based office or in other velayat`s was concerned about ordinary people goingcenters, except for Dashoguz, and they serve away empty-handed …»the customers in a manner which is commonfor civilized society. For some reason, the The second wave of rumors about theRussian company has not opened its office in increase of air tickets occurred when motorthe north of the country, so those who wish to fuel prices increased. And though thisuse the services of this company have to fly to circumstance could not have any effect uponthe capital in order to buy tickets. the air ticket prices, many believe that jet fuel also belongs to fuel and its price is also likelyThe flight to Istanbul remains amongst the to rise.most popular and it is hard to buy tickets onthis route two or sometimes even three «To be on the safe side, I decided to buy amonths in advance though they are also ticket for the end of March in order to fly torather costly. For instance, a return ticket in Almaty for my son’s graduation ceremony»,economy class costs 5878500 manats and one says a bank employee of the Dashoguzway - 3045500 manats. Despite such velayat. «I came to the booking office butexpensive prices, the tickets are sold out even there were no ticket slips. Furthermore, theyin business class which costs almost 7 mln say: if, for some reason I change my mind andmanats, and this is not surprising: a lot of do not fly, the ticket cannot be reimbursed. SoTurkmenistani people go to Turkey to work or now I am hesitating whether it is worth takingto bring goods for sale. a risk: who wants to lose 3,5 mln manats …»There are also many Turkmen students in Until now, the tickets are being sold at theIstanbul and other Turkish cities, and not all of previous price, i.e. the price fixed at the startthem receive scholarships from their home of the year. However, rumors in the bookingstate. The price for a one-way ticket for offices which look like the truth and implantstudents amounts to 2202500 manats and uncertainty further complicate the difficult4275000 manats for return tickets which is a lives of Turkmenistani citizens.huge hole in their parents` pockets. «And there is no authority to clarify theAt the same time, the price for internal flights, situation», complains a bank employee. «Atfor instance, Ashgabat-Dashoguz-Ashgabat least the newspapers could inform the people,remain unchanged - 61000 manats which is but our press offers no article of this sort» …equivalent to the price of 25 chicken eggs orless than 1,5 kg of beef!In Dashoguz, the people panicked when inJanuary the slips for issuing the tickets forinternational flights disappeared. A passengercame to the booking office and found thatthere were no slips left! For several days the277

One more monument on the «road of The rise in the number of accidents ondeath» (8 April 2008) Turkmen roads can also be attributed to theAll automobile roads in the Dashoguz velayat drivers who buy their driving licenses in theare in such bad condition that local drivers call local road supervision office (former GAI) forthem «roads of death». 150-200 dollars. These people have never learnt the traffic rules; they simply bribe thoseAfter the recent winter when the who issue the driving licenses.temperatures dropped to -30C, some parts ofthe asphalt roads are now full of cracks, so the In order not to waste time and money onhighways of the northern region have become proper lessons, many health care workers,a true obstacle course. In order to avoid teachers and economists who lost their jobsgetting their wheels stuck in deep holes, the simply buy driving licenses and start privatedrivers perform dangerous maneuvers driving cabbing. There are almost no otherin to the ongoing traffic lane. Others prefer to employment opportunities in the velayat.drive not on what remains from the asphaltsurface but on the soft verges of the roads, The competition among the drivers is high.thus creating a lot of dust. Due to this, the They all try to do as many trips as possible,drivers of the vehicles behind them are then which can only be done only by increasingunable to see anything, becoming a danger on their driving speed.the road. In addition, most of the cars used forThe poor condition of the roads is the main transporting passengers are old and fallingreason for the high accident rate. Almost apart, so the situation on the roads is simplyevery day people hear here and there about frightening.terrible accidents which frequently results inwith mortalities. Though the official press A car of Japanese production races along thedoes not publish the data about the number broken road at a speed of 130-150 km/h; itof accidents and those killed or injured, was converted to a left-handed vehicle by aeveryone is aware that the number of mechanic somewhere in a Mary`s car repairaccidents and victims is high. Increasingly, shop and it is being driven by an untrainedsmall monuments appear on the sides of the and inexperienced driver. How do you likeroads where people have died in accidents. such a picture? And the number of theseThey are placed there by the relatives of those drivers in these kinds of cars on these roads iskilled in accordance with local traditions. rather high.About 10 monuments can be seen along the20 km long Dashoguz-Gerogly road alone. Meanwhile, the local press report enthusiastically that «due to the efforts ofCertainly, not poor road conditions alone are dear Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, largeaccountable for all the accidents which occur. amounts of money from the country’s budget have been planned to be channeled to the278 construction of new roads and the reconstruction of existing automobile roads this year». As the velayat`s newspaper «Dashoguz khabarlary» reports on 14 February 2008, 145 billion manats have been allocated in the Dashoguz velayat alone for the construction of new and the reconstruction of old roads. In other words, according to the newspaper, 40-50 km with hard asphalt paving will be laid in every etrap.

However, the first quarter of the year is over capital. The second was built in Mary byand there are no repair or construction works Turkish construction contractors. The thirdbeing carried out on the velayat`s roads. one will accommodate the delegates of theAutomobile roads continue to be roads of Khalk Maslakhaty this year in Turkmenabat.death. And now one more palace is going to be built in Dashoguz.Naturally, car accidents continue to occur. Lastweek, on the Dashoguz-Gerogly road The residents of Turkmenistan are normallymentioned above, a passenger vehicle driven happy about the construction of newby a 17 y. o. guy, flew off the road at a speed buildings. In a country where theexceeding 150 km/h. Three passengers unemployment rate continues to remain at aincluding a woman were killed on impact. The high level, new plants, textile factories,driver himself is in the emergency unit of the elevators and mill complexes are largelyvelayat`s hospital. A tubeless car tire burst and considered not as factors of industrialthis was identified as the main reason for the infrastructure development but primarily as aaccident. According to the traffic policemen, it tool for solving the acute social problem –burst due to the sharp stones which replace unemployment.proper paving on some parts of the road. However, there are objects which annoySo one more monument will soon appear people rather than make them happy.along the «road of death». Amongst these are the palaces, fashionable hotels and theatre halls. Every time a TVWho will save the trees, or the announcer reads out the text of a presidential«disposable» palace (15 April 2008) decree about the construction of a new costlyA large construction project has been project, the people are puzzled: why build it?launched in Dashoguz. Along the Gerogly Who needs it?prospect (former Yuzhnaya Street), a Turkishcompany «Sekhil» fenced off a huge plot of Indeed, why build the Rukhyet palaces whichland for the construction of the Rukhyet will accommodate the sessions of the KhalkPalace with a hall designed to hold 2800 seats. Maslakhaty once every 5-6 years and will stay empty for the rest of the time? The RukhyetThe idea to build a similar palace for holding palace was the place where the ХХ session ofthe annual sessions of the Khalk Maslakhaty in the Khalk Maslakhaty was held last year. Andeach velayat belongs to the previous President if the instructions of the former President S.S. Niyazov. The leader of all Turkmens who Niyazov on holding such sessions successivelylike all dictators suffered from gigantomania, in each velayat are followed, the palace indid not spare the state money from being Mary will be empty until 2012. In other words,used on similar impressive buildings. The first the project which cost dozens of millions ofwhite-marble palace Rukhyet was built in the dollars will serve merely as an architectural monument of economic mismanagement.279 Such out of service useless «monuments of nowadays» will be built in each velayat. The buildings of musical drama theatres have been built in all velayats. And what? They are empty. People do not attend voluntarily theatrical plays and concerts as all of them are about patriotic topics which have been staged on innumerable occasions. Theatre halls designed for over 500 visitors are filled only during holidays when the students, senior

school graders, teachers and doctors are Subscription to periodicals is underway inmade to attend these «solemn events» under Turkmenistan (7 May 2008)the threat of dismissal from their job or Despite the lack of choice of newspapers andeducational establishment. magazines, their circulation has not decreased and the number of subscribers remains theThe case regarding the theatres is clear: the same. All employed citizens of the country aretheatre buildings have already been built; obliged to subscribe to periodicals.nobody will destroy them due to the lowattendance rate. However, there are also In April a catalogue listing the indexes, titles,other objects the construction of which can periodicity and the cost for a 6 monthsstill be suspended or moved to another place, subscription was published.for instance, the above- mentioned palace inDashoguz: this is going to be built near the It was back in Soviet times that subscription tonew theatre. This means that along the newspapers and magazines was carried out asGerogly Prospect there will be two empty a mass socio-political campaign; newspaperbuildings. The construction site, to put it journalists held meetings with staff ofmildly, is not very suitable. The Rukhyet palace enterprises and organizations and togetherwill be built in the Victory Park, i.e. its trees with representatives ofwill be dug up. A Dashoguz resident managed «Soyuzpechat»organized various eventsto enter the fenced territory of the future aimed at increasing the number ofconstruction site and counted 119 old trees - subscribers.maple trees, elm, ash, Asiatic poplar and othersorts. «If these trees are killed, huge damage «Soyuzpechat» does not exist any longer; norwill be caused to the city’s environment», says does the mass subscription campaign.a witness. Editorial offices of newspapers and magazines have been sidelined from this task which theyThere are only two parks like this in the town. certainly deemed important. TheirIt is extremely hard to grow trees in the participation in the subscription campaign hasedaphic climatic zone of the Dashoguz velayat been reduced to the publication of thewhere the soils are heavily salted. And now, catalogue of periodicals and appealing tobecause of the Rukhyet palace, more than one readers to subscribe to their «favourite»hundred trees will be destroyed. What did the newspaper.khyakim of the velayat think when he signedthe document transferring the land for the However, even without a mass campaign, theconstruction of the palace to the park? What employees of the Turkmenpochta associationarchitect approved the demolition of this who have been given the burden ofgreen area? subscription activities, honourably fulfil the plan set from above and recruit the requiredNow it is not too late to save the park. The number of subscribers without any problems.construction has not been launched yet.However, if no measures are used to transferthe object to another site (there is wasteground nearby), the residents of Dashoguz willlose the park which has grown up in this placewith such difficulties. Instead, they will bepresented by the President with another«disposable» giant building.280

How does this work? Border Service, the Office of foreign citizens’ registration, the Office of illegal drug trade,The paradox is that all newspapers and the customs service and other similar officesmagazines in Turkmenistan are alike and are ordered, it is said, by the God –nobody reads them; yet, the subscription plan represented by their administrators tois fulfilled by all. The main subscribers are the subscribe to the newspapers «Adalat»employees of the state-sponsored and self- (Justice), «Esger» (Warrior), «Milli goshun»financing organizations, i.e. those who at least (National Army), so these periodicals also faceonce per month sign the salary receipts. This no subscription problems. In addition,category is comprised of health care workers, subscription costs for many of these editions;employees of cultural and sports organizations .i.e. «Esger» and «Adalat» is below 13as well as law enforcement and military thousand manats (less than one dollar).structures. Health care workers are also obliged toFor instance, all school teachers, kindergarten subscribe to 2-3 periodicals. Amongst these isworkers and technical personnel of the magazine «Saglyk» (Health) which iseducational organizations are obliged to issued once per month and costs 24 thousandsubscribe to the teachers’ newspaper manats. However, health care workers (as«Mugallymlar Gazeti»; otherwise you are with teachers and cultural workers) are forcedperceived by the administration as to subscribe to other, more expensiveunpatriotic. periodicals, e.g. the newspapers «Turkmenistan» and «Neutral Turkmenistan»However, subscription is not limited to one which are issued 6 times a week and cost 84specific periodical. Apart from their thousand manats ( $6).specialized publication, teachers andkindergarten employees are obliged to Those who live, work and receive their salarysubscribe to another two-three periodicals; in the provinces are in the most difficultapparently with the aim of enriching them situation. In velayats, teachers and doctors arepersonally. Kindergarten workers have to obliged to subscribe to their local newspapersreceive the children’s magazine «Gunesh» in addition to the teachers and medicaldelivered by post to their homes. All teachers newspapers and journals. For instance, whileof Turkmen language and literature have to an Ashgabat teacher only has to subscribe tosubscribe to the weekly «Turkmen Dili» the «Mugallymlar Gazeti», his colleague in(Turkmen language) which is the cheapest of Dashoguz also has to subscribe to theall newspapers: 5200 manats for six months – velayat`s newspaper «Dashoguz khabarlary».the equivalent of 30 US cents. In provinces there is a fixed sum forSubscription to other specialized editions also employees of state-funded organizations, i.e.continues without any problem. For instance, each health care worker or a teacher shouldall members of the Democratic Party, trade subscribe to periodicals for a total of 250unions, youth, veterans, women’s and other thousand manats (about $18). No one maypublic organizations have to learn about subscribe for less. Certainly, it is allowed toevents happening in the country from the subscribe for more but nobody does.newspapers «Galkynysh» (Revival), «BeiikTurkmenbashi nesli» (Successors of Great One could be mistaken in thinking that anTurkmenbashi) and the women’s magazine employee who is obliged to subscribe for this«Gurbansoltan edje» named by the former sum would unwillingly takes a catalogue andPresident S.Niyazov after his mother. start selecting the periodicals which correspond to his/her professionalEmployees of prosecutor’s offices, courts, the background and the determined sum.Interior Ministry and the Ministry of NationalSecurity, the Ministry of Defense and the281

The head of an enterprise receives a quota needs powerful water pumps, the number offrom the ministry or from the khyakimlik which is also insufficient.which clearly indicates how many copiesshould be distributed in a certain organization, All irrigation canals of the Lebap and Dashoguzi.e. 100 copies of «Turkmenistan» and velayat receive water from the Amudarya«Neutral Turkmenistan». The head orders the River which is shallow this year. A lack ofchief accountant to arrange subscriptions in irrigation water badly affects the wheat andaccordance with the quotas received. The cotton crops. In these two velayats, most ofaccountant has no time to accommodate the the wheat crops have not received water atwishes and interests of the employees, so all. If it was not for the snow which stayedshe/he ascribes to each person a certain unusually long this year, the plants wouldnumber of newspapers and journals, thus have already dried out long ago.automatically deducting the cost of thesefrom their salaries and transferring it to the «Our crops badly need water now», saysaccount of the Turkmenpochta association. Berdyguly A., a tenant of the daikhanEmployees learn about being subscribed to (peasants) association «Guyanagyz» of thethis or that periodical only after the postman Boldumaz etrap (Dashoguz velayat). «Look,delivers the newspapers and magazines to the wheat has already started to grow earstheir homes. but there is no water. If we do not water them today or tomorrow, the grain in the ears willNormally, several families live under one roof be imperfect; this means that we will lose the– parents, their sons with wives and children. harvest and, consequently, in earnings».If the family has 2-3 persons who are officiallyemployed, the postman delivers several However, the level of water in the canals willcopies of the same periodicals to this house. It not increase either today or tomorrow. Inis up to the subscriber to decide what to do order to compensate for the lack of irrigationwith these extra copies. water and save the crops from drought, some people in the Lebap and Dashoguz velayat«Contrary to the expectations of many people, employed urgent measures and started usingthe content of newspapers has in fact not mineralized water from zeikesh – drainagechanged», says one of these ‘subscribers’ collectors. This water may help the rice cropsresident in Dashoguz. «No articles with but drainage water will destroy for good thesuggestions on how to decide local or state soils which are salted even without it.problems are being published. Moreover, thevery word «problem»: has been virtually The draining of canals and ditches led to aeliminated in the press. We still only have decline in the levels of ground waters. Whatendless successes and achievements. does this mean? It means that it has becomeApparently, the rise of the newspapers difficult to get water from underground forcirculation should be attributed to one of utility needs. In the Dashoguz velayat, which isthese achievements». located in the zone of the Aral ecological crisis, more than half of the one million populationLack of water in Turkmenistan (28 May do not know what clean tap water means.2008) Open reservoirs, ditches, canals and wells«A drop of water is a nugget of gold», remain the main sources of water for them.residents of sunny Turkmenistan seem to be Water there does not always meet sanitaryfully aware of the meaning of this saying this standards and, in addition to being veryyear. There is an acute lack of irrigation water. salted, it contains bacteria, which are dangerous to human health. In this velayat,In the best case, water covers the bottom of the cases of people dying from hepatitis,the irrigation canals and ditches. In order to intestinal problems and other infectiousget it from there and take it to the fields one diseases are most frequent.282

The problem with drinking water is being Setting an example for others? (20solved very slowly. The drinking water plant August 2008)which was initially scheduled to be From now on, such vehicles damaged in thecommissioned by the end of the current year accidents are set forth for all to see at eachin Dashoguz, will not be completed by the road inspection checkpoint of the InteriorTurkish company «Sekhil» any time soon. Ministry of Turkmenistan (see the photos).There are private enterprises in the townwhich distil water, but distilled water costs The situation on the motor roads of300 manats per liter and the demand is much Turkmenistan has been so complicated andgreater than the private entrepreneurs` threatens to become dangerous, so thesupply. authorities have to employ extraordinary measures.An average family of 5-6 persons needs morethan 10 liters of water in the hot season for According to high-ranking officials who haddrinking and tea cooking alone. Not every this «brilliant idea», demonstrating of carsfamily can afford to spend 3000 manats per broken into pieces and cannot be repaired willday for water. Most of the people drink water serve as a warning for the neglectful drivers.which is free of charge but dangerous to thehealth. However, those who have already passed by such «exhibits» are sure that this move of theHowever, in a situation of lack of water, city Turkmen road supervision service is absolutelyauthorities have to limit the supplies of even useless.such water of poor quality. If earlier inDashoguz water was supplied for one hour 3 «Perhaps, this will affect some of the driverstimes per day – in the morning, midday and but surely not everyone!», says a taxi driverevening, now it is supplied only twice: in the from the Dashoguz velayat.morning and in the evening. According to the taxi driver, the damagedLack of water is acute not only for agricultural vehicles are exhibited near the traffic policefields. In cities and villages trees are drying up. checkpoint, where the permitted speed isShepherds in Karakum face difficulties with limited to 40 km/h and where all drivers try todrinking places for animals; thus they get rid be utmost careful and law abiding. When theof the young stock selling them on the market checkpoint is left behind, almost all carsat low prices. «It is better to sell then now continue to drive in the manner they are usedwhen they are alive and get at least some to driving, i.e. exceed the regulation speedmoney than to get nothing at all afterwards », and drive out to the wrong lane, thus creatingthey say. critical traffic situations…283 Those drivers who are skeptical about the innovation think that corruption is accountable for the high accident rate and the increase in number of causalities. It is the corruption that causes all problems on Turkmen roads. «In order to get employed by the service of road supervision, one needs to give a significant bribe», says a former traffic inspection officer, now retired Nurmurad D. «95% of all staff posts are sold, while the rest 5% of the jobs are given through the black

door. Naturally, after having paid for To acquit or to pardon (3 July 2009)employment, each traffic supervision officer The May decree of the President oftries to compensate for his costs. He starts Turkmenistan «On Pardoning» leftextorting money from the drivers not to disappointed not only human rights activities,register the traffic offences. He can issue a who had been raising alarm bells about thetechnical control certificate of the vehicle fate of political prisoners and prisoners ofwithout even checking it. He can sell a driving conscience over the past years. It came as anlicense to the people who have no idea about even stronger disappointment to the relativestraffic rules. In sum, this endless circle results of those, who were imprisoned duringin car accidents with drastic consequences». Niyazov`s time for so-called «economic» crimes.And what do the drivers who illegally obtainedtheir licenses for driving the cars which, are, in Niyazov`s repressive machine worked withoutaddition, are not always in proper technical a break and its millstones intermittentlycondition do when seeing damaged vehicles grinded high ranking state officials, heads ofexhibited at traffic police checkpoints? They the ministries and establishments as well assay «Hudai saklasyn!» (Save God!), and… close teammates of the possessed leader andcontinue to drive without following the traffic their relatives. Sometimes the mercilessrules. machine even broke down and grinded the lives of those who were particularly zealous inAt the 6 August sitting of the Security Council their readiness to fulfill any order of thethe President of Turkmenistan expressed leader, and those who governed this veryserious criticism addressed to the Service of machine, i.e. prosecutors, judges and highthe State Road Supervision. According to the ranking officials from the Interior Ministry andPresident, these structures are not working on the Ministry of National Security (MNS).the issues of traffic safety at a proper level.Mustap Geldiyev, a deputy interior minister, Starting from 2000, the country waswas strictly reprimanded while the Interior frequently confronted with high profileMinistry was ordered to develop a plan of muckraking of corrupt vice prime ministers,actions aimed to reduce the accident rate on state ministers and heads of velayat`s andthe roads. etrap`s administrations. During his reign, at a very rough guess S. Niyazov put in jail a totalIt appears that the «exhibitions» of vehicles of 250 high-ranking state officials and theirdamages in the accidents is a component of deputies. The number of officials of lowerthe action plan which is supposed to reduce rank, who were dismissed from their poststhe accident rate. and then held criminally liable, is even harder to count!…However, in order to achieve the actualdecrease of the accident rate which is on therise, the road supervision officers will have torefuse to take bribes, i.e. high incomes, andperform their duties with scrupulous care.Perhaps, in order to prevent the officers ofthis service from violating the law, those whowere arrested for taking a bribe should becuffed to the damaged vehicles?284

Taking the level of corruption in Turkmenistan immediate supervisor. However, even theyinto account, one cannot argue that all were accused of «being in a group», and gotministers and khyakims, who were put behind lengthy terms in colonies».bars, paid an undue penalty. Turkmen citizensdo remember the TV reports showing piles of In the end, there was a conundrum concerningjewelry, confiscated in the course of the criminal cases of Niyazov`s era. Both theinvestigations of high profile criminal cases convicted economic officials (guilty andagainst the vice premier minister Elly innocent) and those who convicted them wereGurbanmuradov, head of the presidential imprisoned. The charges against theadministration Redjep Saparov, as well as investigators show that they investigated thekhyakims, ministers and heads of state cases in violation of the law and by abusingconcerns who had been caught embezzling. their office. However, nobody is going to release those, who were unjustly convicted byThe method of work of the then Prosecutor them.General Gurbanbibi Atadjanova and her teamof investigators was no different to the tools, One solution appears feasible. The presentemployed by their colleagues who worked in day country’s authorities should establish aStalin`s NKVD. mechanism to review the “criminal cases” of Niyazov`s era. Then there will be hope thatA former staff member of the Office of the many innocent people will be freed.Prosecutor General, who has a private legalpractice in Ashgabat now, told us about some However, there is a detail to be noted here.of the tools, employed by the investigators of Those wrongfully convicted will have to beNiyazov`s period: «Certainly, nothing was acquitted, i.e. rehabilitated. And the system,done without Turkmenbashi`s knowledge. If established by Niyazov and continuing tohe gave an order to «put an end» to a certain function, cannot acquit; it can only pardon.official, the investigators did their best to«cast the net» in such a way in order to catch Therefore, the fates of the prisoners ina higher number of people. Asaresult, dozens Turkmenistan are still not in the hands of theand hundreds of innocent people were law but in the hands of the President. If hecaught». wants, he can grant a pardon; if not – he won`t.Investigators of the Prosecutor`s Office andMNS handled the suspects without gloves and Everybody to the celebrations (16did not even try to classify the degree of guilt December 2010)of certain people. All the suspects were Another mobilization of the population for theconsidered crime accomplices and sidekicks, new festivities was initiated in Turkmenistan.comprising together a criminal group, which At the recent session of the Cabinet ofacted by previous concert. Ministers, President G. Berdymukhamedov«Now when the investigators themselvesimprisoned together with Ms. Atadjanova, thecases of those convicted by them should bereviewed and dozens of innocent peopleshould released», a former staff of theProsecutor’s office is convinced. «For instanceI know that among those, who weresentenced to 15-20 years imprisonment, therewere people, whose guilt only involved theirsignature on a document. I know that thesepeople never stole anything; they were justperforming the will of their minister or285

required the vice prime minister M. make participation of citizens from regionsYazmukhamedova, who is in charge of festive compulsory.ceremonies and celebrations in the country, tohold «at a high level» all festive activities For instance, in Dashoguz a football matchrelated to the celebration of the 15th took place at a new stadium. Despite the coldanniversary of Turkmenistan`s neutrality on 12 weather (+2C), «football fans» were taken toDecember. the stadium 1,5 hour prior to the match and were allowed to leave only after the game wasThe President has issued a demand and over. People, who have nothing to do witheverything has immediately started to move. football, were forced to act as fans for 3,5Residents of Ashgabat, employed in state- hours since the match was videotaped for thesponsored organizations, were required to TV report. «We are thankful that at least wetake part in all big events of the upcoming didn`t have to pay for the tickets» jokedholiday. Some were supposed to man the residents of Dashoguz, pinched by cold.Music Palace of the National Cultural Centrewhere a big concert of Turkmenistan`s According to a source from the Educationmasters of arts will take place. Others signed a Ministry, five days prior to the celebrations,written promise that they would definitely about 5 thousand 9th and10th graders wereattend the theatrical performance to be held taken to the sites of the main festivities fromon the square in front of the circus building. Mary, Turkmenabad, Dashoguz, Balkanabad and a town on the sea Turkmenbashi. It goesMany people will also go to a recently without saying that there were no classeslaunched open-air park «Inspiration», which during those days. They were taken by regularwill host a grandiose literature and music flights, trains and buses which causedshow. On the day of the holiday the problems for those who decided to use thoseOlympiysky Sports Complex will be jam- means of transport during that period.packed as a huge show of art groups from theentire country is scheduled to be held there. The information on mass mobilization for the festivities of the students from velayats hasAll students of higher education institutions, also been confirmed by a resident ofstaff of the education and health care systems Balkanabad, who wanted to visit Ashgabatas well as of libraries, the social care system during these days on private matters.and housing and municipal services are alsonot allowed to skip preparations for «As of 5 December, i.e. a week prior to thecelebration. The question was put point- holiday, it was impossible to get a ticket forblank: either you take part in the «dabara» the Ashgabat train – all passenger trains were(celebration) or you will be fired from your job offered to high school students and theiror dismissed from studies. Excuses such as teachers. I had to get to Ashgabat by a private«my child is ill» or «I feel unwell» will not car as commuter buses were occupied withwork. school children and people employed in the sphere of culture», he said.While a number of events were plannedwithin the program of marking Neutrality Day, «If it wasn’t for this mobilization, nobodyit was not so easy to find the people to would have attended this holiday voluntarily.demonstrate the large-scale participation of People are tired of celebrations».the population. In order to show how joyfuland extensively the country and the people is It should be recalled that Turkmenistancelebrating Neutrality Day to the honored celebrates over 20 holidays on an annualguests, who visit festive activities, and basis. In addition to the main one –representatives of different foreign Independence Day and Neutrality Day, theredelegations, it was decided at the top level to are national holidays devoted to the Turkmen286

flag, carpet, Turkmen racing horse, sugarmelon, water and bahshi.287

NATALYA SHABUNTS certificate, he became a pastor of the protestant church «Light of the Peace».Light of the Peace and World of Darkness(7 November 2010) The congregation gathered all documents necessary for registration but until now theOn 21 October in the city of Mary, the license was not issued, though the church wasprotestant pastor Ilmurad Nurliev was illegally registered. And since the religious communityconvicted and sentenced to four years in is in «the process of registration» andprison for allegedly swindling and money conducts no illegal actions, it has legal rightsextraction. for religious activities, stipulated in its statutes. And its statutes, as well as theThe trial, set at 10 am, started at 5 pm only statutes of other similar communities,and lasted two hours. Harassment faced by foresees a voluntary tithe paid by the churchthe pastor, members of his family and his members, when possible, for the churchcongregants has lasted for four years already operation.and resulted in this conviction. All payments and expenditures had beenBackground carefully registered in respective documents,In the traditional Turkmen family of Nurliev, it which have been confiscated, inter alia, by thewas Ilmurad`s sister who came to the Christian police. It should be emphasized that thefaith first. Disabled since childhood, suffering money was paid to the cashier and never tofrom muscular dystrophy, she found her the pastor. All payments and expenditureshusband in Belarus, who had the same were transparent for all church members.disease, thanks to the Komsomolskaja Pravdadaily and moved to Baranovichi in the early Harassment1990s. Together with her husband they Starting from the moment of applying forconverted to Protestant Christianity. Under registration, harassment from the lawher spiritual influence, in 1999 the father enforcement agencies, particularly from theconverted to Christian faith followed by the Ministry of National Security (MNS), began.mother in 2001. They required Nurliev`s family to deny the Christian faith «wrong for Turkmen» andIlmurad converted to Christianity first in 2004. threatened them on a regular basis.It was not immediately that his wife Maiashared his choice with him; however, later she In 2007, Ilmurad was not allowed to leave thebecame his true supporter. country to attend a Christian conference in Ukraine. Since then and until the moment ofIn 2006, having completed the training in his arrest, he was on the country’s exitTernopol and having obtained the respective blacklist.288 On 10 February 2008, during the Sunday worship service, 15 representatives of local administration and power structures broke into Nurliev`s house without showing respective documents. They illegally confiscated 225 cassettes with records of sermons and prayers without taking a formal note. Ilmurad`s father, the eldest, was the one who suffered the most: he was shouted at, assaulted, accused of «terrorism against Muslim faith». Following this incident, his state of health worsened, and he passed away on 23 July 2009.

The wife Maya and members of the church, While the indictment mentions four victims,primarily of Turkmen origin, were also only Aibolek Gurbanova and Shemshatrepeatedly harassed. Atashova were present at the trial. It was decided not to show the two otherHow the criminal case was «fabricated» «sufferers» - Alladurdy Khummedov andHalf a year prior to the trial, members of the Kervenbashi Akyev even at this trial.church community «Light of the Peace» were Apparently it would be obvious from theirsummoned by phone, without written faces what they are suffering from. Accordingnotification, to Room 19 of the police to the lieutenant colonel Gazakov, thesedepartment of Mary to the investigator, people were forced to pay the tithe: Akyev -lieutenant colonel Durdymurad Gazakov, 346 manats 40 tenge, Khummedov - 320where the MNS officers were present. The manats.Christians were intimidated and offered tosign the ready-made papers which accused Trialthe pastor of swindling the money («tithe»). According to the indictment, victim Aibolek Gurbanova had been swindled money as titheDespite the threats and strong pressure, the since May 2009 until June 2010. At the trial,church members refused to sign the papers of Gurbanova stated that a new portion ofthe identical content, which can be considered money had been handed over to Ilmuradin Turkmenistan not just an honest action but Nurliev on 1 January 2010.heroism. Then the executors and the orderingparties of this political «criminal case» decided However, since 17 December 2009 until 9 Mayto take a path common for them. Not having 2010 she was imprisoned because of affray. Itfound the witnesses of the «crime» among the should be noted that the decree on herpermanent members of the church imprisonment was signed by the judgecommunity, they found them among those Agadjan Akdjaev, who led the pastor’s lawwho totally depend upon special services. suit. When Maya Nurlieva showed the documentary confirmation of this fact, theTwo unemployed prostitutes and two chronic judge perspired profusely because of thisalcoholics, who received, along with many «confusion», however, this has not affectedothers, spiritual and financial assistance from the justice which he rendered.Ilmurad Nurliev, have become the mainwitnesses for prosecution. At the trial Shemshat Atashova, who was first brought to the church «Light of the Peace» byIn order to help such people Ilmurad bought a A. Gurbanova on 23 May 2010 only, statedplot of land of 8 hundred square meters with a that she had been forced to pay the tithe sincesmall portable cabin where the members of January 2010.the society, not needed by the government,could live and work. The government acting by If the witnesses totally mixed up when givingrepresentatives of special services remembers their testimonies, when answering theabout them only when they need to play a lawyer’s questions, the judge interrupted thedirty trick upon honest but unwanted by the lawyer. He also excluded 12 witnesses frompolice regime people. the defense party who, despite the threats, wanted to testify in support of the pastor andOn 27 August at 10.15 am the pastor was convict the prosecution witnesses of slander.summoned to the neighborhood police The judge allowed only three persons toinspector and there he was forced into the car address the trial: Nurliev`s wife, Mehriand brought to the above-mentioned Room Charyeva and Dovran Mamedov. However,19 of the city police department. He never their testimonies have in no way affected thecame back home after that. trial conclusion, which was predetermined in advance.289

I. Nurliev`s lawyer - Bairam Saparov from had been a blood donor for pregnant womenTejen, received investigation materials only 5 at the district hospital as he has a rare seconddays before the trial. The accused only learnt blood group negative Rh rhesus.about the trial date from him. «Washed their hands»The first two lawyers - Maral Durdieva and No one in Turkmenistan has stopped thisKhurma Annamamedova – were imposed by arbitrariness, even though the members ofthe investigation bodies. Having received the the church community twice appealed to themoney for their job, they did not, in fact, act Office of Prosecutor General, having gatheredas lawyers. The only useful information, initially 17 and then 24 signatures for thereceived from Durdieva, said that initially the pastor’s defense.witnesses had claimed another sum, whichhad been significantly lower. In particular, the Nor have the personal appeals of Mayafirst claim of Gurbanova referred to the sum Nurlieva to the OSCE office based in Ashgabatof 340 manats. Later the sum increased to 500 helped. Ms. Begoña Piñeiro Costas, Humanmanats. In the course of investigation, the Dimension Officer and Begench Ashirov,investigators decided to fit the pastor’s case lawyer, have not provided anyinto a longer sentence. Having received the comprehensible answer. And Mr Zekolli, headhonorarium for the lawyer’s job, Khurma of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, could only liftAnnamamedova immediately took annual his hands in dismay saying: «We cannotleave. decide anything here; we are temporary people here and cannot interfere in theWhile Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev belongs to the actions of the authorities». Maya replied withprotestant church, the investigator always indignation: «Why are they here then? To getrefers to his «Christian Orthodox studies», and high salaries and turn a blind eye to allthe judge called the church community «Light violations?!»of the Peace» a Christian Orthodox sect.Following the trial, Maya Nurlieva was forced Nor has Maya Nurlieva received a reply to herto pay 1.331 manat 46 tenge (about $470); personal appeal to the President ofotherwise the family would have faced Turkmenistan G. Berdymukhamedov.property confiscation. CourageAs of today, the Mary city court has not issued The only thing that is positive in this dirtyany judicial documents to Maya Nurlieva. It story is that none of the members of theshould be mentioned that the court secretary church community has betrayed their pastortried to sell the judgment/? At a price of 30 and almost all of them came to the trial, whichmanats. However, the judge Akdjaev is a very courageous act in a country whereinterfered saying that «the spouse may not be fundamental human rights are vulgarlyhanded the judgment». Nor was Maya violated and the atmosphere of fear forallowed to meet the convict. unpunished actions of the «law enforcement bodies» is being deepened.ForgeryInvestigator Gazakov «does not find mitigating The fact that Baptist pastor Vasily Korobov,circumstances» to justify the «criminal actions pastors of Evangelical churches Vladimirof Ilmurad Nurliev». In addition, he states that Tolmachev («External blessing», Ashgabat)Nurliev is unemployed (although the pastor and Djappar Aliev («Glory of Life»,makes his living by working as a hairdresser) Turkmenabat), as well as a member of theand «is not involved in activities beneficial for Pentecostal church Ruslan Atajanov came tosociety». Gazakov precariously states that the the trial to support the pastor spiritually, isaccused is in need of «urgent narcological worthy of respect.treatment». Nobody reacted at the medicalcertificate confirming that since 2008 Nurliev290

Peter Eckstrom, secretary of the US Embassy not allowing me to have at least some controlin Ashgabat, was not allowed into the court of the search.room. They did not react to my protests about their *** barbarian actions or to my demands to stopI hope that this material will draw the ransacking my entire luggage at the same timeattention of international organizations to the and to check my things one by one and not tosystem of court arbitrariness, when anyone take them away for checking.can be sentenced to a long term in prison byfalse denunciation. I also hope that under the Numerous officers all wearing the same dourpressure of international community, an expression, bearing no signs of intellect, toreinnocent person will be released while the my books, DVDs, newspapers and photos outoriginators of his harassment will be held of the bags, as well as my personal notes withresponsible. the words “We follow the law!” and ran away to a room to inspect them. My cell phone andOpen statement (15 November 2010) camera were confiscated first.I am writing to express my protest against theincompetent and illegal actions of your They demanded I show them my memoryofficers, who exposed me to a humiliating sticks and did not react to my explanation thatsearch at the customs point on the night of 17 «I do not have any memory sticks as I haveOctober when I was returning from Russia to been on their «black list» for ages, so they willTurkmenistan on flight 706 Moscow-Ashgabat. not find any «espionage» on me, and all movies and books purchased have receipts,To the Minister of National Security of and that every time they search me like thisTurkmenistan, Charymurad Amanov they have never found anything on me but only disgrace Turkmenistan by doing so.I am writing to express my protest against theincompetent and illegal actions of your In response to all my arguments, they keptofficers, who exposed me to a humiliating saying: «We follow the law!» I always bringsearch at the customs point on the night of 17 lots of newspapers and books with me as myOctober when I was returning from Russia to friends and I are not satisfied with the printTurkmenistan on flight 706 Moscow-Ashgabat. media of Turkmenistan only, including the Neutral Turkmenistan daily, so theWhile the actions of the customs officers can «inspectors» have a lot of work to do.be considered as relatively civilized, the staffof the «security bodies», who filled the room In this humiliating and humorless situation Ilike locusts checking my personal belongings, was amused by the fact that the «fieldhave ransacked all my bags at the same time, investigators» had seized two gift calendars for 2011 «Miracle working icons of the Most291 Holy Theotokos» as «religious literature subject to confiscation». The folder with documents from the Holocaust workshop which I participated in in Jerusalem in August, as well as personal papers, were also thoroughly checked. These included receipts, newspaper cuttings, tickets and personal things … All this made me feel humiliated, insulted, ugly and ashamed of my country, which officially claims to be a «democratic, legal,

secular state», while in reality it is becoming Imitation (26 July 2011)more and more a police state with shadowing, Once the Russian historian Karamzin definedwiretapping, surveillance and intrusion on what was going on in the country in onepeople’s privacy on a daily basis. word– “stealing”. This is what is happening in our country at all levels. In the meantime,This is not the first time that I have been however, this term is referred to as«inspected» at the customs when leaving and corruption.entering Turkmenistan; however, this hasnever been carried out in total violation of all These in-depth processes are reflected on thelegal norms. It should be noted that when I faces of senior country’s officials. As a rule,was leaving Turkmenistan on 29 July during the selection and recruitment processeverything appeared fairly civilized and there nepotism, money and the lack of self-esteemwas no «manual inspection of underwear» rather than professional competence, skillsand electronic media. This made me feel and intelligence are taken into account.happy, but, as it turned out later, not for long. Others can be encountered outsideI believe that this illegal action is related to a government agencies. For instance, amongnew «hunt» against «slanderers» in taxi drivers there are many people holding theTurkmenistan. The «hunters» think that a diplomas of recognized foreign universities,state can be called «legal» if everything is kept which had been rejected by the localunder the control and pressure of «law authorities. I met the specialists that are inenforcement agencies» headed by the demand in Turkmenistan but not needed bysecurity bodies; while «secular» refers to a the state even among porters at local bazaars.state where «religious literature» and prayerscan be confiscated at the border and Yet, the more succinct and precise term to«democratic» stands for well-rehearsed describe the situation in Turkmenistan ismarches in front of the tribune. IMITATION.Democracy is a long and ongoing process. The The imitation of education, culture, theright to access information and freedom of imitation of the nation-wide love for theexpression, including criticism of actions of the President, the government’s concern over thepowers that be, is an integral part of country’s residents, the imitation ofdemocratic development. democratic reforms including elections of all levels and mass media. There are manyApparently I should be happy that the players involved in this shameful imitationcustoms officers had not planted any show, including foreign ones…incriminating evidence after they foundnothing on me … Some sort of «porn», «white On December 21, when MTS was forcedly shutpowder», an ampoule with poison or a bullet. down and in the run-up to the New-YearApart from the protest, this open statementattempts, (even though with far reachingconsequences for me), to put an end to a new«witch and slanderer hunt» and massacre ofthe civil activists remaining in the country.292

holidays two million subscribers were left explanations. The issue of “Neitralnywithout mobile communication and internet Turkmenistan” published the article aboutconnection, the only country-wide Russian- improving the quality of connection by thespeaking newspaper “Neitralny Turkmenistan” local provider “Altyn Asyr” and the increase inof December 21 said: “On December 20 a the number of subscribers in the Balkanmeeting with the EU delegation led by velayat …Michael Randall, Manager of the EU-fundedProject on “Cooperation in Media It should be noted, though, that the mainDevelopment in Turkmenistan”, who had reason for the increase in the number ofarrived in the Turkmen capital” was held at subscribers was not mentioned by thethe Ministry of Foreign Affairs”. newspaper. Prior to the shutdown and especially, after it, the former subscribers ofGentlemen, let me ask you – what are you MTS rushed to “Altyn Asyr” offices.talking about? Are there any mass media inour country? There are print media, radio and In proportion to the increase in the number ofa restricted number of state-owned television subscribers the quality of connection, whichstations covering a limited range of topics used to be quite poor, is deteriorating. Thus,stated above and predominately devoted to the authorities have considerably “improvedthe incumbent. We have “the media of mass the access to information” …extolment”, “the media of mass greetings”,“the media of mass admiration”, “the media The Turkmen mass media focus exclusively onof complete non-disclosure”. In a nutshell, achievements, accomplishments, the greatthese are the “media of mass imitation”. Does reforms which are underway in the countrythe EU intend to improve such mass media? where poor, beggars, unemployed, infectious diseases and other problems of real life areThe real news is circulated in whisper. The non-existent. Health care practitioners aredistinguishing feature is that bad events are forbidden to diagnose and record infectiousconfirmed, whereas the good ones are not. diseases such as hepatitis, flu, measles, scarletThe ominous rumors about the upcoming fever and others. Before they made recordsforced closure of MTS had been circulating in referring to “acute respiratory disease” but itthe country long before the provider ceased turned out that it has recently been banned.its operations. Even the name of the person Now only “season cold” can be used inwith lucrative economic cravings, who was medical records ...eager to take over a profitable cash-yieldingbusiness under the cover and protection of his The cynicism of powers-that-be surfaced atuncle, was mentioned. Yet, people did not large in the autumn of 2009 when the healthcare who the owner would be as long as the care practitioners were barred from reportingcellular communication is available and the on the number of victims of the flu outbreakconnection quality remains the same. which had primarily affected children and expectant mothers. People were left face toUntil the last moment the residents were face with the infection without anyhoping that the authorities would not dare to medications, professional medical aid andmake this audacious move, moreover, in the basic hygiene items under the conditions ofrun up to the holiday season. However, the complete non-disclosure of information. ThePresident crossed this Rubicon too (nothing is high-ranking authorities had reportedly beendone without his consent). Once again the vaccinated.authorities’ care about the citizens had beendemonstrated. “The mass media outlets” are immaculate and crystal clear. The “format”, structure and theAs usual, the local mass media are keeping design of the previous epoch has beensilent about the reasons behind the MTS shut- preserved. Let us take the newspaperdown and do not bother to provide any “Neitralny Turkmenistan” as an example. After293

Niyazov’s death the traditional “greetings” Adult and even elderly high-ranking officials,were automatically transferred to acting including the country’s chief record-keeperPresident. (an equivalent of ideology secretary in the Soviet times) Maya Mollaeva, who do notThe only difference for the time being is that dare to lift the eyes to the “Master”, withno fairy-tale derisive and absurd epithets are obsequious faces are standing stiffly alone orbeing used, but instead the sizes of the photos in groups scribbling down wise instructions inof the country’s leader have been significantly their note books. Those sitting at desks areincreased, especially in recent months. There continuously documenting the country’sis an endless flow of greetings smoothly chronicles interrupting only for the roaringreplacing one holiday after another: from rounds of applauses.members of the government, from the MejlisChairman and responsible staff members of Occasionally cameras incidentally show thethe Presidential administration, who are hands “frozen” in movement while holdingcompeting with each other in praise, pens in an attempt to write something down.reiterating the accomplishments and This is also imitation. The word “imitation” canexpressing the words of admiration and be applied to “idle” laptops in front of thegratitude. government members.At the same time, the newspaper informs At the extended session held on January 10readers in detail that the President kindly the President confirmed this by calling on the“accepts whole-hearted greetings from the government “to train their computer skills”.high-ranking officials” at any holiday. For the May be it would be better and more logical tomost inquisitive readers the lists of those hire a new team of professionals?officials extending greetings “from all acrossthe country and all over the world” are Another mandatory rule is belt-low bows inpublished. Some lists come to a close whereas front of the country’s leader. Some time ago itthe new ones start appearing in the papers took me a while to understand that who wastime to another holiday. And, needless to say, the young man in the military uniform onthe greetings by the leaders of other countries bended knees timidly kneeling in front of theoccupy places of honor. Customary diplomatic President with a guilty and frightened look ofpoliteness is presented by the Turkmen mass a boy. It turned out that he is the Defensemedia as international recognition. Ministry. I personally have another perception of what military deportment and honor mean.The news coverage from the sessions of theCabinet of Ministers or the State Security There are other mandatory ceremonies andCouncil stands out. These sessions are covered rituals. Cabinet members are obliged toby gifted story writers. Exuberant in words, extend a waving welcome not only at thethese articles lack informational content and airport but during all events during theare abundant in general wordings, phrases, President’s departure in those cases when,conventional texts, boring-to-death clichés, pursuant to the protocol, they are obliged beinspired by Hitler-Stalin pompous rhetoric. present. Many people told me that at theThey imitate the transparent performance of recent conference the chief official in thetop echelons of power. Ministry of Culture Maysa Yazmukhamedova missed the moment of the President’sYet, the most expressive is television TV departure and a second later rushed towardscoverage. These “democracy-committed” the President in panic falling on her knee, butshows are causing an ever increasing continued to wave a hand deliriously.astonishment – “what millennium are weliving in?” When official video footages covering the President’s trip across the country are294 broadcast, many are surprised to see the

Cabinet officials waving hands during his Office S. Ballyev informed that as a result ofdeparture and later see the same group the policy of peace, good neighborly relationsarranging a red carpet welcome in the final and “open-doors” pursued by the Turkmendestination the President headed to. President, the number of tourists visiting our country is constantly on the rise. How manyThe aforementioned Maysa might-have-been visitors, including theYazmukhamedova, obedient and kind-hearted Turkmen citizens holding Turkmen passports,in front of the President, beautiful and slim, unable to visit their relatives in the days of joythough unqualified in area she is in charge of, and sorrow, were denied entry? The numberbecomes a Gorgon when communicating with of people included in the black lists of thoseher artistic subordinates (offensive behavior barred from travelling is constantly increasing.towards subordinates is a commonmanagerial style but the sphere of arts and The Migration Service is still refusing to issueculture it is considered to be extremely rude). new passports for travelling abroad to dual nationals. This is done in an attempt to oustFollowing Yazmukhamedova’s example, the them outside Turkmenistan. Moreover, therepresentatives of arts and culture write down residents of Turkmenistan are confronted withher wise instructions with bended heads. She various obstacles preventing them fromcan severely criticize the circus staff because exiting the country to pursue educational orthe riders did not get off their horses when employment opportunities.greeting the President at the circus openingceremony or reprimand a television crew for Nobody has been made responsible andshowing the elderly men falling asleep at the incurred punishment for the unlawful turmoilsession of the Elders’ Council. arranged last summer by the Migration office and applied to the dual nationals, who wereThe broadcast of the extended Cabinet illegitimately prevented from boarding theSession as of January 10 which summed up planes and urged to renounce one of thethe results of 2010 was especially citizenships! The plans of many people had“outstanding”. Apart from the “standing been disrupted, which eventually affectedsession” of selected ministers, there were their fates! Can this be treated as “democraticextremely surrealistic instances when the reforms”? (There are some instances whenentire audience stood up in a well-tuned the authorities do not renounce the Turkmenmovement and all “story-writers” were citizenship even if the residents applied to getmaking lengthy notes simultaneously … their citizenship renounced and the process is suspended intentionally).Ridiculous mass flower-laying ceremonies areno longer broadcast – when during the Yet, the President encourages these unlawfulfestivities the bowing executives present acts to be implemented. By approving theidentical bouquets of white roses wrapped in performance of the Migration office he “gavegreen paper to the President, whereas he, in detailed instructions on extending the scopehis turn, like his predecessor, does not even of work to regulate the activities of thetouch the flowers. Migration office and bring the measures which are being undertaken in line with internationalIn the coverage devoted to the session of the standards”. Then he appointed the firstSecurity Council on January 6 the reader will deputy Minister of National Security A. Beglievfind out that among the primary tasks of the as the new chairman of the Migration Servicemilitary and the law-enforcement agencies are for the further “expansion” of the agency. So,“improving prosperity and the standard of the ENEMY of the PEOPLE should beware!living of Turkmen residents”. What would be the next step made “toReporting on the deliverables of the last year’s comply with international standards”? Willperformance, the Chairman of the Migration those holding multiple citizenships and former295

civil society activists be forcedly deported A play devoted to the creation of the resortfrom the country? area “Avaza” in response to the President’s request is available. This is even moreThe issue of “Neitralny Turkmenistan” of powerful than “Faust” by Goethe! Poets are composing new masterpieces.January 7 providing the сoverage of the Pompous and luxurious pseudo Empire styleSecurity Council meeting in the section featuring white marble palaces with numerous gold-plate French-style decorations is“Current events” published the following absolutely tasteless. Ashgabat is slowing turning into lifeless necropolis. The imitationinformation, which stands out in terms of of architecture.intellectual logic and wisdom: “In compliance The majority of sculptures have nothing to do with art. In the short-term perspective thewith international experience and with a view sculptures of the New President will gradually fill the living space …of further improvement of the activities I can vividly imagine the themes of thedesigned to strengthen the system of justice, paintings or carpets devoted to the present- day topics: “Pre New-Year exultation ofprotect constitutional rights and liberties, people over MTS shut-down”. “In the run-up to the New Year’s holidays the formerprevent and detect crimes and train highly- inhabitants of Firyuza are overcome with joy as the construction works for the President’squalified personnel for the Department of weekend residency have been complete”. The following can be a burning topic, too –Internal Affairs among the officers holding “Retirees, disabled and unemployed are performing the national song by Khadzhihigher education President of Turkmenistan, Kakaliev, the officer from the Interior Ministry “We are extolling the generosity of theCommander-in-Chief Gurbanguly President arranging the fireworks for the residents”.Berdymukhammedov signed the resolution on The internationally renowned animalconverting the Turkmenistan’s Police advocate Brigitte Bardot may be presented with the painting “Zealous sanitary servicesAcademy named after General S.A. Niyazov to are exterminating dogs and cats as an act of benevolence and mercy”. Or a portrait can bethe Turkmenistan’s Institute of the Interior created- “Andrey Zatoka is writing a letter of gratitude to the Minister of National SecurityMinistry named after S.A. Niyazov”. for improving well-being and quality of life”.It turns out that it is sufficient to change the Judging by many facts, the repression wheel isword “Academy” to the “Institute” and reduce spinning around faster and all unreliable,the General’s rank of the former President to unwanted residents along with dissidents,accomplish the democratic reforms! (Does this former public activists and those who weremean that Niyazov have a postmortem rank of trained abroad from non-government fundsanti-general?) This resembles Niyazov’s style might soon be exposed to “improvement ofwhen he had reduced the term of education well-being and quality of life”. For severalto improve the quality of education. Following years the farmer and civil society activist fromthis golden and renaissance logic, with a view Bairam-Ali Abdurakhman Bairamov has beenof further democratization process inTurkmenistan people will be punished,imprisoned and deported… As the sayinggoes, “for the sake of democracy human rightscan be violated!”In this case the academicians from whichcountry will award the title “The Man of theYear” to our President? North Korea?In response to the President’s appeal to theartists to “devote their inspiration and artisticskills to interpret the present-day reality fromartistic perspective”, they are creating newcontemporary works of art, praising the idealsof the new historic epoch, which fosterpatriotic, spiritual, moral and estheticeducation of young people and awaken thefeeling of pride for their Motherland.296

experiencing these “improvements” in prison P.S. I was writing this material being sound infor his attempt to run for the Mejlis members mind and I am fully aware that this might poseas an independent candidate. Any criminal threats to my security under the existingcharges can be brought against “unwanted” “persecution system”. Yet, there are momentsindividuals under the conditions of the all- in life when you cannot keep silent for thepervasive judicial outrage with false witnesses sake of self-respect. This is not just an article,being actively used. but a statement which will be published only after all international human rightsDuring all Cabinet sessions the Mejlis organizations receive it, despite the fact thatChairman Nurberdyeva reports on “further our law-enforcement agencies have manyimprovement” of legislation which has ways to make “slanderers” keep silent.nothing to do with real life. This is imitation.Various international conventions are signed Presidential elections. First-handand endorsed but in fact they are null and void experience (13 February 2012)as well as “liberal” decrees and resolutions. Ashgabat polling stations № 49 and 50 areLet us take an example of the law on private located in school № 49, which can be seeneducation. For all occasions the Turkmen from my window. I personally monitored theresidents have the rights but are unable to voting process. At 7-00 a.m. lights in theexercise these rights. windows were on and the music was playing at 8 a.m. There were no lines and people wereMs. Nurberdyeva did not bother to answer my going to the polling stations. I headed for theopen letter about the illegitimate refusal of polling station at 11-00.the Migration service to issue newinternational passports for dual nationals, Women were cooking pilaf in front of thesince she has no arguments to respond. She is school building. Soft drinks and pastries werea dummy person and is not a decision-maker. sold in front of each station. Visitors wereThe only decision-maker is the President who welcomed by charming girls in nationalseeks to get rid of untrustworthy citizens and costumes with snacks on the trays. A red-make the entire country stand in line as a carpet welcome was arranged for all votersfrightened crowd. who were treated as distinguished guests.At the extended Cabinet session held on First I dropped by at the polling station №49January 10 the deputy Chairman Shaguliev, an and asked if there were any observers. Aofficial from the Ministry of Communications, female observer from the khyakimlik’s officewho issued an order to cease MTS operations was there. I deliberately waited for the voterssaid: “to meet the needs of individuals and to appear and took a photo of the pollingbusinesses for high-quality telephone wire station and asked the girls for permission tocommunication, radio telephone and cell “take a historical photo”. Then I made my waycommunication 306958 telephone circuits to my polling station № 50, where I also sawhave been installed in the country whichaccounted for 179% of the plan execution».Yazmukhammedova reported on “furtherimprovement of mass media”. Kingdom ofdistorting mirrors …Thus, what do the EU representatives intendto improve? Or is there always room forperfection for the Turkmen mass media asfundamental human rights are being grosslyviolated? Or will the walk-around dancearound the President’s gas Christmas tree goon?297

the girls holding the trays. My name was nation’s leader. The anchor speaking aboutimmediately found on the list. I was not asked democratic elections as evidence of theirto show ID. I went inside a voting booth, “transparency” reported about “three kinds ofdecorated with Turkmen ornaments, and see-through ballot boxes”. I believe that this isbefore putting a ballot paper into a see- reminiscent of comments made by a Turkmenthrough ballot box I approached the woman economist who argued that the opening of awho hailed me – she was sitting close the new bazaar implies the development of theballot box and was making notes. She pulled market economy.my ballot paper towards her and I thoughtthat she wanted to have a look the name of On February 8 Turkmen newspapers publishedthe candidate I ticked and I drew the ballot the resolution issued by the Mejlis aboutpaper close to me, but as it turned out she naming the military unit after the President’swas only counting the number of ballot papers father. For some reason military units haveand wanted to check how many I was about to not been named after the parents of otherput in the box. candidates (I assume they are dignified country’s residents). Yet, the newspapers alsoAs it turned out, the practice of family voting published the comment made by the head ofhen one member of the family votes for CIS observers mission Evgeniy Sloboda aboutothers is still widely used. The officials at the Presidential candidates having equalpolling station are happy that at least one opportunities.member of the family appears, since ordinaryelection staff are held responsible for the It can be said that the Presidential elections invoters’ turnover. Turkmenistan were not free.When I asked for permission to take a photo Be merciful, stop the barbarousof the polling station, I was referred to two extermination of dogs and cats! (7 May 2012)young girls who turned out to be observers. TO THE PRESIDENT OF TURKMENISTANThey said that all types of shooting werestrictly forbidden. Nobody could give coherent GURBANGULY BERDYMUKHAMMEDOVreasons behind the ban. Then I was told that apolice officer on duty would provide OPEN TELEGRAMexplanations who, in his turn, suggested we gooutside and asked whether I am a citizen of MR PRESIDENT,Turkmenistan. Then he started makingpersistent enquiries about my name and place I KINDLY ASK YOU TO BE MERCIFUL AND STOPof residence. When asked why it was not A NEW ROUND OF BARBAROUSallowed to take photos he said “Because it is EXTERMINATION OF DOGS AND CATS, WHICHforbidden!” When asked who had imposed HAS BECOME TRADITIONAL FORthe ban he finally said that the authorities did TURKMENISTAN FOR THE PAST TWENTYand made an additional comment “Don’t youunderstand Presidential elections areunderway!?” Then a woman approached tome and politely explained that nobody hadintroduced any bans but still it was notallowed to take photos.In the run-up to the elections, February 11was “the day of silence” indeed and thePresident unexpectedly disappeared from TVscreens. It should be mentioned though thaton 10 February during television newscaststhe speakers encouraged voting for the298

YEARS! ANIMALS DIE IN TERRIBLE AGONY Faces of the Turkmen ThemisFROM VARIOUS POISONS, OFTEN IN FRONT I am still amazed by the bizarre faces of theOF CHILDREN. THE EXECUTORS REFER TO Turkmen justice. A lower court returns anYOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO CLEAR ASHGABAT unjustified verdict and the entire systemFROM DOGS AND CATS. AT THE SAME TIME, including the Prosecutor General’s office andHOWEVER, NO MEASURES TO EXTERMINATE the Supreme Court are defending themselves.RODENTS AND BEDBUGS ARE BEING A victim of the judicial arbitrariness isUNDERTAKEN. neglected and despite all arguments receives non-committal replies.NATALYA SHABUNTS What is this? Conspiracy of silence,ADDRESS: MIR2-4, 7, APT. 7 professional incompetence, “who-cares” attitude or the result of corruption which like *** rust is eating at the judicial system?For many years the practice of exterminatingdogs and cats has persisted in Turkmenistan‘s This was vividly demonstrated by Andreycapital and other major cities. The Zatoka’s case, who was first unlawfullyrepresentatives of sanitary and public health convicted and then deported from theservices make raids in the city by feeding dogs country, the bankruptcy and robbing ofand cats with contaminated sausages. The entrepreneur Igor Mirzoyants I wrote about inanimals die in agony and pain. This happens in the run-up to the Presidential elections. Whatfull day light and is witnessed by the residents. has changed in his fate in the city of Mary? The Presidential candidate who robbed himThe number of homeless pets is on the rise withdrew his nomination, but still occupies aalso due to the fact that residential houses are high-ranking post and has not returned thebeing demolished and many inhabitants can property. Yet, the officials have not beenhardly find new accommodation (they often punished for the long-standing persecutionstay with relatives) whereas cats and dogs, and violation of laws. On the contrary,who used to live with their owners, become Prosecutor General Y. Yazmyradov andhomeless. Chairman of the Supreme Court A. Khallyev, affiliated with the arbitrariness, were re-In their turn the services, which are supposed appointed to the current post by the Presidentto capture homeless animals, receive limited on February 28 with the consent of thefunding and have no possibility to be engaged Chairman of Mejlis A. Nurberdyeva and lack ofin the neutering of dogs and cats. There is no information about the Mejlis session.funding available even to purchase poisonswhich have immediate effect. Thus the In the meantime the documents certifyingemployees use cheap crop dust or even pieces Mizoyants’s long-standing righteous struggleof sausage stuffed with needles. are under consideration in international human rights organizations. Now I am writingThe Turkmen court throws a disabled about a new “legal case” without any hope forwoman out on the street (23 May 2012) justice in Turkmenistan but I hope to attractA disabled woman and her daughter fail to the attention of women’s human rightsovercome the bureaucracy of the Turkmen organizations. And not only women’sjustice system in order to defend their rights. organizations. Little strokes fell great oaks…A human rights defender Natalya Shabunts istrying to help them. She has reviewed the “Declaring marriage null and void”situation and prepared a detailed report. A trivial family story: the couple lived together for many years but “the family boat sank”.299 Yet, the end of the story is not typical. It is unrewarding to find out who is guilty in the family conflicts. Both a husband and a wife