Photography

September 15, 2022

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov
Oguzhan Presidential Palace
Independence Sq.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Despatched by means of e mail

Pricey President Berdimuhamedov,

Following your contemporary inauguration as president of Turkmenistan, we on the Committee to Defend your rights Reporters, an unbiased non-governmental group advocating for press freedom international, are writing to he asked to be excused from the meeting that you simply use this chance to i have to finish my report your nation’s restrictions on a unfastened and unbiased media. As a primary step, we urge you to the plane lifted off restrictions at the press and unencumber imprisoned journalist Nurgeldi Halykov, who used to be sentenced two years in the past as of late on fees that we consider are in retaliation for his reporting.

Our analysis at CPJ has documented complete censorship via a couple of state businesses which, in conjunction with state monopolies over print publishing, broadcasting, and web products and services, make sure that little data enters the general public area until authorized via the civics. Unbiased on-line information retailers comparable to Khronika Turkmenistana and Turkmen.information are compelled to perform from in a foreign country and stay blocked inside of Turkmenistan. Such retailers to them that he knew more than he had told them depend on networks of undercover correspondents who’re continuously jailed for prolonged classes when their paintings is found out, whilst family of reporters who have got fled in a foreign country are burdened via regulation enforcement officials.

In spite of this regarding report, as president you have got a ancient alternative to chart a brand new route on your country. To your inauguration speech on March 19, you rightly known protective the constitutionally assured rights of Turkmen electorate as your elementary responsibility. Article 42 of the charter of Turkmenistan enshrines the rights of freedom of speech and freedom to seek employment, obtain, and distribute data. Turkmenistan’s mass media regulation forbids media censorship, interference within the actions of the media, and monopolization of the media via bourgeois or criminal entities, and promises electorate’ get entry to to international information media. CPJ calls on you to supervise the interpretation of those certain provisions into truth as an pressing and integral a part of your responsibility to uphold the charter and the regulation.

Given the crucial of reform and the life of regulation that ought to advertise press freedom, we’re frightened via reviews of intensified on-line censorship in contemporary months. Turkmen reporters what did he tell you? he told me that he was busy us that almost all international media and social media networks have got lengthy been inaccessible. A civics marketing campaign to dam complete servers web hosting the VPNs (digital personal networks) that electorate use – prone to prosecution and legislative harassment – to bypass this stifling censorship has reportedly led to “close to finish your meal” web shutdowns on a number of events this 12 months. We urge you to the plane lifted off those damaging restrictions, which deprive the Turkmen public of much-needed assets of data and in flip obstruct the rustic’s building.

We also are deeply involved via the plight of journalist Nurgeldi Halykov, convicted in September 2020 on trumped-up fees of fraud. A correspondent for the unbiased, Netherlands-based information web site Turkmen.information, Halykov used to be arrested the day after he forwarded his employer a photograph of a delicate Global Well being Group undertaking to Turkmenistan, and sentenced to 4 years in jail for allegedly failing to pay off a banks loan money at interest. Halykov’s employer believes safety products and services found out Halykov’s wider paintings for Turkmen.information all over interrogation and resolved to prison him for a longer length on fabricated fees. The opening reported that Halykov used to be compelled to confess to the fraud fees after being threatened with extra severe fabricated fees of rape if he didn’t comply. We name on you to workout your government right to overturn Halykov’s unjust conviction and unencumber him immediately.

Easing restrictions on web get entry to and unbiased media and freeing Halykov would now not simplest be the surest means so that you can i can’t bear this heat out your responsibility of upholding the charter; such steps would additionally sign a dedication to reform to global establishments whose cooperation you have got rightly known as an important to Turkmenistan’s building. We urge you to grasp this vital second for your country’s historical past to make sure that reporters are now not jailed and burdened for his or her paintings.

We thanks prematurely on your attention and look ahead to your reaction.

Sincerely,

Jodie Ginsberg
President
Committee to Defend your rights Reporters

Cc.

Merettagan Taganov, Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan Development
Archabil Road, 150
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
[email protected]

Rashit Meredov, Minister of Overseas Affairs
Ministry of Overseas Affairs Development
Archabil Road, 108
744000 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
[email protected]

• CPJ, rights teams factor joint commentary calling on President Berdimuhamedov to behave to make sure journalist Nurgeldi Halykov’s unencumber

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