http://turkmenistan.neweurasia.net/2006/06/20/thickening-plots/ Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 5 Jul 2008 01:22:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 http://turkmenistan.neweurasia.net/2006/06/20/thickening-plots/#comment-3765 turkmenistan.neweurasia.net » Turkmenistan’s Reputation Gets Worse Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:18:15 +0000 http://turkmenistan.neweurasia.net/2006/06/20/thickening-plots/#comment-3765 [...] In spite of the objections of Senator Brownback, who is considered in some circles to be a possible Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race, the Turkmen government seems determined to pursue its line of silencing all further reports on Muradova’s mysterious death. Again according to Radio Free Europe, the phone lines of Muradova’s family have been severed. The journalist’s immediate relatives were reportedly in contact with the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation after viewing Muradova’s body, although they were being subjected to threats by morgue employees even at that juncture. In a statement to Amnesty International, the head of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation Tajigul Begmedova stated that relatives had testified that signs appearing on Muradova’s face and neck were consistent with beatings and strangulation. It is also reported that Amnesty International have expressed further concern about the welfare of Turkmen Helsinki Foundation workers Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khajiev, who were also convicted in a recent trial and whose current whereabouts and state is also subject of speculation. Interestingly, one of the accusations levelled at Amanklychev was that of accepting financial assistance from individuals described as foreign operatives, BBC journalist Lucy Ash being among these. In the absence of reliable impartial information regarding the precise activities surrounding the nature of the crimes supposedly committed by these Turkmen reporters and human rights activist, it would be intriguing to hear how much insight the people’s foreign colleagues could offer. [...] […] In spite of the objections of Senator Brownback, who is considered in some circles to be a possible Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race, the Turkmen government seems determined to pursue its line of silencing all further reports on Muradova’s mysterious death. Again according to Radio Free Europe, the phone lines of Muradova’s family have been severed. The journalist’s immediate relatives were reportedly in contact with the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation after viewing Muradova’s body, although they were being subjected to threats by morgue employees even at that juncture. In a statement to Amnesty International, the head of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation Tajigul Begmedova stated that relatives had testified that signs appearing on Muradova’s face and neck were consistent with beatings and strangulation. It is also reported that Amnesty International have expressed further concern about the welfare of Turkmen Helsinki Foundation workers Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khajiev, who were also convicted in a recent trial and whose current whereabouts and state is also subject of speculation. Interestingly, one of the accusations levelled at Amanklychev was that of accepting financial assistance from individuals described as foreign operatives, BBC journalist Lucy Ash being among these. In the absence of reliable impartial information regarding the precise activities surrounding the nature of the crimes supposedly committed by these Turkmen reporters and human rights activist, it would be intriguing to hear how much insight the people’s foreign colleagues could offer. […]

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