Corporate report

Turkmenistan - country of concern: latest update 31 December 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Any incidents or events taking place after 31 December 2014 will be covered in future reports.

0.1 Latest Update: 31 December 2014

We continue to have significant concerns about the human rights situation in Turkmenistan, and there have been few positive developments during the period October to December.

Turkmenistan again decided not to attend the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) arranged by the Organization for Security & Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Warsaw from 22 September to 3 October. This annual meeting, which brings together hundreds of government officials, international experts, civil society representatives and human rights activists, takes stock of how States are implementing their commitments on human rights. The Turkmen authorities contend that some Turkmen exile attendees are guilty of criminal offences in Turkmenistan. The EU noted in its closing statement at HDIM that Turkmenistan had missed “a valuable opportunity for an open and frank dialogue on this and other issues”. The EU also repeated concerns about the practice of enforced disappearances and the treatment of political prisoners in Turkmenistan, and strongly encouraged the government of Turkmenistan to engage on the legitimate questions about such practices that were raised during HDIM.

The British Embassy continues to support reform in Turkmenistan, including by funding a project through the OSCE to enhance the professional skills of domestic journalists and media specialists. In October, as part of the project, the OSCE arranged a study visit to Lithuania by five journalists from Turkmenistan. This was followed in November by a four-day training course in Ashgabat during which more than 20 journalists were able to exchange views on trends in modern journalism and enhance their practical skills, including writing, reporting, editing and interviewing best practice. The OSCE concluded another media-related course on 28 November on website management for State institutions in Turkmenistan. The purpose of that course was to underline the importance of fostering the free flow of information and use of the internet to facilitate wider access to information.

The UK has raised concerns before about pressure on certain religious communities in Turkmenistan, as well as the need for Turkmenistan to respect the fundamental and universal values of freedom of thought, conscience and belief. We are therefore pleased that eight Jehovah’s Witnesses were released in October as part of a Presidential amnesty on the occasion of Turkmenistan’s Independence Day. The British Ambassador discussed this and other issues relating to freedom of religion or belief during a meeting on 5 November with the Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Religious Council. Separately, the OSCE supported a five-day working visit to Belgium at the end of November to learn more about international standards and national practices on freedom of religion or belief. The Turkmen group included representatives from the Parliament (Mejlis), the National Institute for Democracy & Human Rights, the Council on Religious Affairs, and the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat undertook a range of other activities during the past three months. 25 law-enforcement officials, including penitentiary staff from across the country, participated in a training course in Ashgabat to promote international standards on prisoners’ rights in Turkmenistan. The purpose of the course was to provide an overview of international standards on prisoners’ rights, including the right to healthcare and adequate living conditions, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right to humane treatment.

Special Representatives from the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly visited Turkmenistan in December. Their programme included meetings at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice, Parliament, the Central Election Commission, and the Supreme Court. They noted that Turkmenistan still needs to make progress in a number of spheres, and emphasised the importance of engaging civil society in the process. OSCE parliamentarians last visited Turkmenistan for the country’s parliamentary elections in December 2013.

In other developments, Turkmenistan again co-sponsored the biennial resolution on a “Moratorium on the use of the Death Penalty”, which was adopted at the UN General Assembly in New York on 21 November. The UK welcomes this, as Turkmenistan’s co-sponsorship helps to ensure wide support for the global advocacy effort against the death penalty. Turkmenistan abolished the death penalty in 1999.

The Minister for Central Asia, Tobias Ellwood, underlined the UK’s readiness to support further reform in Turkmenistan during a meeting in London with Turkmenistan’s Minister for Education on 24 November.  

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