According to a Turkmen Helsinki Foundation press release reproduced on the opposition Watan.ru website, the Turkmen authorities have detained a Radion Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist and a human rights worker, Ogulsapar Muradova and Annakurban Amanklychev respectively. The detentions took place after extensive surveillance, including physical intimidation and phone-tapping, was carried out on the two individuals after their mid-March encounter with another journalist, Halmurad Gylychdurdyev.
The Turkmen Helsinki Foundation carries considerable detail about Muradova’s arrest, which is assumed to have taken place over the last few days:

“As this press release was about to be issued, we received an urgent message from Ashgabat. Today, at approximately 5 p.m. to workers from an Ashgabat Police Department presented themselves at Muradova’s apartment. Muradova, born in 1948, was taken way in car with license plate number 55-46 AN. No official summons was presented. To Muradova’s complaints, a lieutenant presented himself as “Tolya” and told her that he was merely taking her in for inquiries and provided her with a service phone number, 39-00-49.”

Another note was also received about the arrest on June 16 of Amanklychev, born 1971. According to high-ranking employee at the regional Office of Public Prosecutor, Amanklychev may be incriminated with charges of drugs or weapons possession, which has become a favoured strategy of the Ministry of State Security, or MNB. Since the fall of former General Prosecutor Gurbanbibi Atajanova, the MNB are reputed to have energetically taken up her office’s duties. As the source at the regional Office of Public Prosecutor explained:

“As the theme of the struggle against drugs and criminality is so popular, the MNB have decided to carry out the arrest of this human rights worker by throwing these charges at him. That way they kill two birds with one stone - On one hand, they get rid of an objectionable rights activist and, on the other, they can show the country’s leadership how loyal they are and how ready they are to provide for the state’s stability.”

The Turkmen Helsinki Foundation press release also carries details of further arrest designed to target their own activists. While Muradova was being arrested, three policemen detained Elena Ovezova, born 1965, at her flat. She has two young children, aged three and 11.
The police also arrested Sapardurdy Hadjieva, born 1959, who is related to a Turkmen Helsinki Foundation representative. Relatives have insistently sought information about the reasons for the arrests but have hitherto been given no reply.