NGO Law Monitor: Turkmenistan
Introduction | At a Glance | Key Indicators | International Rankings
Legal Snapshot | Legal Analysis | Reports | News and Additional Resources
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Last updated 5 April 2012
Introduction
Although nearly 20 years have passed since Turkmenistan became independent of the U.S.S.R., civil society in Turkmenistan remains highly fragile and underdeveloped. Informal (unregistered) groups are forbidden by law from conducting activities. At the same time, registration is difficult for organizations seeking legal entity status. Indeed, only 99 public associations are currently registered and operating in Turkmenistan, a country of nearly 5 million people. Many committed Turkmen citizens are therefore trying to solve social problems at the local level without forming a civil society organization.
The 2008 Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to association and the supremacy of international law, but governing legislation and implementation practice do not support this Constitutional standard. The Turkmen Civil Code envisions two legal organizational forms of non-entrepreneurial legal entities: public organizations and foundations. The primary governing law is the Law on Public Associations, adopted in 2003, which lays the basis for the formation and activity of public associations (PAs) as legal entities. As detailed below, the law contains obstacles to the establishment, operations and funding of organizations. Moreover, implementation is problematic. Restrictions on foreign funding, combined with a poor environment for domestic fundraising, have left most PAs struggling for survival.
Since the death of President Niyazov in December 2006, Turkmenistan, now under the leadership of new President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is more open to dialogue and has expressed interest in reforming its laws governing civil society. Implementation practice, however, has not improved and barriers to both registration and foreign funding remain in place. Tellingly, many of the registered PAs are, in fact, GONGOs – that is, organizations established as traditional communist-era groups, including the Women’s Union, the Youth Union, and the Center of Trade Unions.
At a Glance
| Organizational Forms | Public Association |
| Registration Body | Ministry of Adalat (Justice) |
| Approximate Number | 99 |
| Barriers to Entry | Activities by unregistered groups are prohibited. Founders of associations must be citizens of Turkmenistan. Associations operating nationally must have at least 500 members in order to be registered as a legal entity. The registration fees for associations may be prohibitive. In practice, few organizations have been registered due in part to the lack of political will to implement the law effectively. |
| Barriers to Activities | The Ministry can send its representatives to attend association events and meetings. Associations must notify the Government of its upcoming planned activities. Vague grounds for dissolution invite the exercise of excessive governmental discretion. |
| Barriers to Speech and/or Advocacy | None |
| Barriers to International Contact | Associations may engage in international cooperation and communication, with the involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meaning is uncertain, but this has hindered some associations in the exercise of these activities. |
| Barriers to Resources | Programs supported by foreign funding must be registered with the Ministry of Justice. |
Key Indicators
| Population | 4,884,887 (July 2009 est.) |
| Capital | Ashgabat |
| Type of Government | Republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 67.87 years |
| Literacy Rate | 98.8% |
| Religious Groups | Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% |
| Ethnic Groups | Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003) |
| GDP per capita | $6,100 (2008 est.) |
Source: The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.
International Rankings
| Ranking Body | Rank | Ranking Scale (best – worst possible) |
| UN Human Development Index | 109 | 1 – 182 |
| World Bank Rule of Law Index | 7.1 (2007) | 100 – 0 |
| World Bank Voice & Accountability Index | 1.4 (2007) | 100 – 0 |
| Transparency International | 166 | 1 – 180 |
| Freedom House: Freedom in the World | Status: Not free Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 7 |
Free/Partly Free/Not Free 1 – 7 1 – 7 |
| Foreign Policy: Failed States Index |
59 | 177 – 1 |
Legal Snapshot
International and Regional Human Rights Agreements
| Key International Agreements | Ratification* | Year |
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) | Yes | 1997 |
| Optional Protocol to ICCPR (ICCPR-OP1) | Yes | 1997 |
| International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) | Yes | 1997 |
| Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention | Yes | 1997 |
| International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) | Yes | 1994 |
| Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) | Yes | 1997 |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women | No | -- |
| Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) | Yes | 1993 |
| International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW) | No | -- |
| Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) | Yes | 2008 |
| Regional Treaties | ||
| None known |
* Category includes ratification, accession, or succession to the treaty
Constitutional Framework
The Constitution of Turkmenistan was adopted on 18 May 1992 as the supreme law of Turkmenistan (Article 5). The 1992 constitution was amended on 26 September 2008, abolishing the 2,500-member People’s Council (Halk Maslahaty) and expanding the elected Assembly (Mejlis) from 65 to 125 members, among other amendments.
Relevant constitutional provisions include:
Article 28. Citizens of Turkmenistan shall have the right to freedom of conviction and the free expression of those convictions. They also shall have the right to receive information unless such information is a governmental or any other secret protected by law.
Article 29. The freedom of assembly, meetings and demonstrations in a lawful manner shall be guaranteed in Turkmenistan.
Article 30. Citizens shall have the right to form political parties and other public associations which operate within the framework of the Constitution and laws.
Forbidden shall be the formation and activity of political parties and other public associations, having as their goal violent change in the constitutional order, allowing violence in their activities, acting against constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens, advocating war, racial, national, social, or religious animosity and social inequality, encroaching on the health or morality of the people, or forming militaristic associations or political parties based on national or religious traits.
National Laws and Regulations Affecting Sector
Relevant national-level laws and regulations affecting civil society include:
- The Constitution of Turkmenistan of September 26, 2008;
- The Civil Code of Turkmenistan (July 17, 1998, effectuated from March 1, 1999, with the amendments and additions of October 21, 2003, March 30, 2007);
- The Tax Code of Turkmenistan (with the amendments and additions of December 27, 2005, August 17, 2006, February 23, 2007, March 17, 2007, June 12, 2007, October 1, 2007, January 27, 2008, March 17, 2008, September 11, 2008, April 27, 2009, July 2, 2009);
- The Administrative Code of Turkmenistan (adopted in 1984 with the additions of October 21, 2003);
- The Law of Turkmenistan “On Public Associations” (October 21, 2003)
- The Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan 6547 “On Registrtaion of Public Associations” of January 14, 2004;
- The Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan 7197 “On the Establishment of the Commission for Registration of Religious Organizations and Public Associations under the Ministry of Adalat of Turkmenistan” of April 22, 2005;
- The Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan 6446 “On the State Registration of the Projects and Programmes of Technical, Financial and Humanitarian Assistance and Grants” of November 14, 2003;
- The Law of Turkmenistan 28-II “On Enterprises” of June 15, 2000.
- The Law of Turkmenistan "On Political Parties" of January 13, 2012
Pending NGO Legislative / Regulatory Initiatives
In January 2012, the President of Turkmenistan addressed a message to Mejlis deputies: "It is necessary to make changes and additions to the legislation that regulates public organization activities, alongside with the development of legislation that ensures the electoral rights of citizens and based on current political realities." http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id-549
Legal Analysis
Organizational Forms
According to Article 51 of the Civil Code, there are two primary legal forms available for non-entrepreneurial legal entities: public organizations and foundations.
- A public organization is established where several individuals pursue a common aim. At least five (5) members are required to form a public organization operating locally, fifty (50) for organization operating internationally, and 500 for those operating nationally.
- Article 51 of the Civil Code states that “a legal entity shall be the foundation when to achieve a common socially useful purpose one or more founders transfer special property in ownership to an independent entity, which has no members.” [The Civil Code specifically addresses foundations in Articles 71-74. The Law on PAs also includes “the public foundation” as one of the available legal forms of public associations.] No public foundation exists in Turkmenistan.
According to the Law on Public Associations, public associations operating at the local (municipal) level must have at least five (5) members. Public associations operating internationally must have at least 50 members. And public associations operating nationally must have at least 500 members. [Currently in Turkmenistan, there are no organizations registered as an international public association.]
The Law on Public Associations (PA) establishes four (4) categories of public association:
(1) A public organization is a membership-based public association that is created on the basis of joint activities for the protection of common interests and achievement of the constitutive goals of the members. (Article 7)
(2) A public movement is a mass non-membership public association that pursues social, political and other socially useful goals, and which consists of participants supporting those goals. (Article 8) The Law neither defines nor distinguishes between “members” and “participants”. Article 5 of the Law on PAs states that only those organizations whose charters do not provide for membership may have participants. Articles 8, 9, and 10 of the Law define non-membership organizations to include the “public movement”, the “public foundation” and “a body of social initiative”. No public movement is currently registered in Turkmenistan.
(3) A public foundation is a non-commercial, non-membership public association that seeks to generate income through voluntary contributions and other donations not prohibited by law, and to use this property for socially useful goals. (Article 9) No public foundation is currently registered in Turkmenistan.
(4) A body of social initiative is a non-membership public association that aims to address, on a participatory basis, various social problems arising at the home or workplace of citizens. (Article 10) This legal form may be likened to a community-based organization. No organizations are currently registered as a body of social initiative in Turkmenistan.
In practice, therefore, only one type of public association exists in Turkmenistan – the public organization based on membership. All 99 public associations are registered as public organizations. The Ministry of Adalat (Justice) of Turkmenistan is responsible for the registration of all types of public associations.
Public Benefit Status
Public organizations – the only active legal form of CSO in Turkmenistan – are permitted to pursue both public benefit and mutual benefit purposes. The law refers to “common aims” or “common interests” that members can pursue collectively.
The current Turkmen legislation does not, however, define a “public benefit” or “charitable” status for CSOs. That said, public organizations that provide assistance to disabled persons and conduct educational activities are exempt from income tax and value added tax.
Barriers to Entry
Turkmen law simultaneously prohibits the activities of unregistered organizations and deters registration as a legal entity.
First, regarding unregistered activity, Article 17 of the Law on Public Associations forbids the activity of unregistered PAs. Restrictions against unregistered associations are also imposed by the Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan 6547 “On Registration of Public Associations” (January 14, 2004); the Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan 7197 (April 22, 2005); and Article 204-1 of the Administrative Code of Turkmenistan.
Second, the registration process is encumbered by a number of restrictions:
- Founders, members and participants of public associations must be adult citizens of Turkmenistan. (Article 5) Foreign citizens and stateless persons may be founders and members only of international public associations. (Article 15)
- The minimum membership requirements depend on the territorial scope of the association’s activity. Local PAs can be established with no fewer than 5 members. International PAs can be established with no fewer than 50 members. [A public association shall be recognized as international if one of its departments – an organization, branch (affiliated organization), or representative office – is formed and conducts activity in foreign states. (Article 13)] For national PAs, the minimum membership requirement is 500.
- Currently, the registration fee charged for local public associations amounts to approximately 105 USD. National public associations must pay a fee of about 175 USD, and international public associations are charged a fee of about $703.
Difficulties in registration are not solely, or perhaps even primarily, a problem of legal barriers as contained in the text of Turkmen law. Indeed, in some respects, the law spells out a registration process that is reasonably clear and enabling, at least on paper. Required application documentation is generally consistent with good regulatory practice; the Ministry of Adalat (Justice) must review and decide upon the application within a one-month period; and in case of denial, the Ministry must provide notification in writing. Instead, the problem lies in implementation and the lack of political will to allow organizations to register. Indeed, only a few organizations have successfully been registered. Following the adoption of the Law on PAs in 2003, some 30 informal groups made attempts to obtain registration in late 2004 and 2005. Some were refused registration multiple times; after 3-5 vain attempts to obtain registration they simply gave up and stopped submitting registration requests. Similarly, foreign non-profit organizations have also been unable to establish branch offices in Turkmenistan.
Barriers to Operational Activity
The Law on Public Associations includes barriers to PAs’ operational activity, in the form of excessive supervisory authority and overbroad governmental discretion.
First, the designated regulatory body – the Ministry of Justice and regional ministerial branches – has the right to send ministry representatives to attend the PA’s internal meetings and events, which contradicts international norms relating to freedom of association and privacy.
Second, PAs are required to inform the relevant government body of upcoming planned activities. (Article 22) As written, the requirement appears to relate to advance notification versus required approval. In practice, however, government bodies, should they have objections, can refuse to grant approval of planned activities.
Third, the Ministry of Adalat (Justice) can terminate a PA where achieving the goals specified in the charter becomes “impossible” (Paragraph 28 of the Implementing Rules for the Law on PAs).
Barriers to Speech / Advocacy
Turkmen law enables PAs to engage in a wide range of activities that can be characterized as political, provided that the activities are specified in the charter or governing statute of the PA. (Article 21) For example, Turkmen PAs are legally permitted to take part in election campaigns (if the charter has provisions for its participation in the elections). Public associations that seek to participate in elections may not receive financial or other material assistance from foreign states, organizations, or citizens to conduct activities related to preparing and holding the elections. (Article 25)
In practice, however, no PA has ever exercised this right. [Indeed, Turkmenistan has only one political party: the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.] Moreover, PAs do not criticize the Government.
While it is rare for PAs to engage in advocacy activities, a small number of PAs have put forward proposals to the Mejlis (Parliament) relating to amendments to the Constitution and a number of the laws. For example, the PA “Economists’ Union” worked with UNDP to draft the Law “On the State Support of Small and Medium Businesses”. This law was adopted in 2009, although little remained from the draft proposed by the Economists’ Union.
Barriers to International Contact
Public associations may cooperate with international organizations, maintain international contacts and relationships, and conclude the relevant agreements with the involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. (Article 21) As for what kind of ministerial “involvement” is required, the answer is not clear. There are no laws or regulations that purport to define what is specifically required or what procedures apply. In practice, some PAs inform the Ministry of their planned activities with the international organizations. And there have been cases when the Ministry refused permission for these activities. More commonly, however, PAs have no need to inform the Ministry because all the international organizations operating in Turkmenistan are obliged to inform the Ministry of their planned activities.
Barriers to Resources
Foreign Funding
Public associations must register projects and programs supported by foreign technical and other assistance with the Ministry of Adalat (Justice). The process of obtaining registration with the Ministry is quite difficult. The registration process can be easily protracted and subject to excessive government discretion. Public associations are heavily dependent on international donor support and thus difficulties in having grants registered or in receiving foreign assistance can considerably impair the operation of public associations in Turkmenistan.
Domestic Funding
According to the Civil Code and other legal acts, public associations may conduct economic activity specified in their governing statutes, provided that the economic activity is specified in the statutes and that the income generated is used to achieve the goals set forth in their statutes. (Article 27) Public associations may also establish enterprises and acquire assets that are intended for carrying out entrepreneurial activity.
Reports
| UN Universal Periodic Review Reports | |
| Reports of UN Special Rapporteurs | Reports on Freedom of Religion of Belief: 2008 |
| USIG (United States International Grantmaking) Country Notes | Not available |
| U.S. State Department | |
| Failed States Index Reports | |
| IMF Country Reports | No relevant information available |
| Asia Pacific Philanthropy Forum Reports | Not available |
| NGO Regulation Network Reports | Not available |
| CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) Country Reports | Not available |
| International Commission of Jurists | Not available |
| Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights Report | Turkmenistan: Human Rights in the Era of Great Renaissance, 2009 |
| International Center for Not-for-Profit Law Online Library | Turkmenistan |
News and Additional Resources
While we aim to maintain information that is as current as possible, we realize that situations can rapidly change. If you are aware of any additional information or inaccuracies on this page, please keep us informed; write to ICNL at ngomonitor@icnl.org.
General News
Turkmenistan labeled as "cyber oppressor" by Reporters Without Borders (April 2012)
According to a newly released report,” the regime has targeted netizens for harsh crackdowns, ready to do whatever it takes to retain its absolute power, even to the point of viewing people with satellite dishes and mobile phones as potential enemies.” The report adds that “hopes that the country would open up with the coming to power of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in 2007 have come to nothing….” Other “cyber oppressors” include: Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. (Read more)
UN report raps Ashgabat for its poor human rights record, including torture (June 2011)
A United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) report released yesterday slammed Turkmenistan for its widespread human rights violations, including the use of torture against detainees. It called for urgent action. This comes at a time when the European Union is trying to consolidate relations with the energy rich nation. Reports of torture are “numerous and consistent” and “there appears to be a climate of impunity resulting in the lack of meaningful disciplinary action or criminal prosecution against persons of authority accused of [torture],” the CAT report said. (Read here)
EU Lawmakers Put Brakes On Turkmen Deal (May 2011)
The European Parliament has postponed a decision to upgrade the European Union's relationship with Turkmenistan until July and might even delay the process till the autumn.The move to stall the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Turkmenistan -- agreed by the Foreign Affairs Committee on May 25 -- comes after a delegation of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited the Central Asian country in April to take stock of the human rights situation there. The agreements are the standard cooperation formats used by the EU to deal with countries that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. They provide a legal framework for political and economic dialogue and are aimed at supporting democracy and the development of a functional market economy. The committee initially approved the agreement in January, paving the way for the whole chamber to vote on its ratification. But a lack of progress on several human rights issues has prompted the EU lawmakers to slow down the process. (Read more)
UN body to review Turkmenistan's human rights record (May 2011)
The UN Committee Against Torture is to review Turkmenistan's human rights record, which critics say is one of the worst in the world. Human rights groups are using this opportunity to raise awareness of human rights in the Central Asian nation. They have published several different reports ahead of a meeting in Geneva. The rights organisations draw attention to issues such as the plight of jailed civil rights activists and the absence of political reforms. (Read more)
EU Faces Democratization Test in Ashgabat (April 2011)
A European Parliamentary delegation is due to arrive April 28 in Turkmenistan on a human rights fact-finding mission. The visit appears to be a prelude to a European Union upgrade of its economic ties with Ashgabat. Currently, the EU has an Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) in place with Turkmenistan. In addition, a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which allows for expanded trade relations, awaits ratification. The PCA was signed way back in 1998, but has never been ratified due largely to concerns over Turkmenistan’s human rights record. Ashgabat is consistently ranked by watchdog groups as one of the world’s most repressive states. The findings of the European delegation visit, however, could clear the way for PCA ratification as early as June. (Read more)
Arrests on Eve of EU Parliament Visit (April 2011)
Turkmen authorities have detained at least four people since early March, 2011, on what appear to be politically motivated grounds, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests took place in advance of a key visit by the European Parliament, beginning on April 27, 2011, to assess the human rights situation in the country. "This latest wave of arrests is a chilling reminder of the Turkmen government's unrelenting repression of any independent voices," said Veronika Szente Goldston, Europe and Central Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "The European Parliament should speak out forcefully against abuses and press for these individuals' immediate release in the meetings with the Turkmen authorities." (Read more)
US Department of State Releases 2010 Human Rights Report for Turkmenistan (April 2011)
Although the constitution declares Turkmenistan to be a secular democracy and a presidential republic, it is an authoritarian state of approximately five million. The Democratic Party is the country's only political party. The president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, was elected in a 2007 presidential election that did not meet international standards. December 2008 parliamentary elections also fell short of international standards. Security forces reported to civilian authorities.Human rights problems included citizens' inability to change their government; reports of torture and mistreatment of detainees; incommunicado and prolonged detention; arbitrary arrest and detention; denial of due process and fair trial; arbitrary interference with privacy, home, and correspondence; restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association; restrictions on religious freedom, including continued harassment of religious minority group members; restrictions on freedom of movement for some citizens; violence against women; and restrictions on free association of workers. Read the full text of the Report here.
Law on Bar Associations Adopted in Turkmenistan (May 2010)
Law on Associations of Advocates in Turkmenistan (bar associations)was adopted in Turkmenistan. The law is effective from July 1, 2010. The new law states that bar associations are elements of civil society (the first time this phrase has been used in a Turkmen law). The law outlines procedural rights and obligations of lawyers. The barrister is an independent legal consultant and cannot hold a public position, except for teaching or scholarly activities. (Read more in Russian)
Turkmen Leader Visits France Amid Criticism From Rights Groups (February 2010)
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov began an official visit to France today with a meeting with his French counterpart at the Elysee Palace. The talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy touched upon bilateral cooperation, relations between Turkmenistan and the European Union, Afghanistan, and the fight against drug trafficking. […] Berdymukhammedov has also signaled some improvements on the human rights front following the authoritarian rule of his predecessor, the late Saparmurat Niyazov. In their statement, Berdymukhammedov and Sarkozy expressed satisfaction about the continuing dialogue on human rights issues between the EU and Turkmenistan. (Read more)
Report: EU ignores Turkmen rights abuse, seeks gas (November 2009)
An international human rights watchdog on Tuesday accused the European Union of ignoring rights abuses in energy-rich Turkmenistan in the hopes of securing future natural gas supplies.British-based Global Witness said the EU is misguided in pinning its hopes on Turkmenistan as a potential alternative gas supplier to Russia, which currently provides Europe with about one-fourth of its gas needs. "It is a ludicrous notion that the solution to the problem of dealing with one unreliable supplier is to turn to a potentially even more unreliable one in Turkmenistan," Global Witness said in the report entitled "All That Gas?" They published the report to coincide with the opening of an international energy conference in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, which dozens of Western energy investors are attending. (Read more)
Turkmenistan, EU Hold Human Rights Talks in Brussels (July 2009)
Officials from the European Union and Turkmenistan have held a second round of human rights talks in Brussels, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports. Gabriela Dlouha, the director of Human Rights and Transition Policy at the Czech Foreign Ministry, told RFE/RL's Turkmen Service that discussions this week focused on the functioning of a civil society, press freedom, and freedom of expression, religion, movement, association, and assembly. (Read more)
No University, It’s the Turkmenistan army for you (September 2009)
The government of Turkmenistan has set up new travel regulations essentially barring hundreds of students from studying abroad. As the academic year begins, male students who were looking forward to starting or restarting their studies after the holidays will instead be drafted into the national army on 22 September. (Read more)
CIVICUS: Civil Society Watch
CIVICUS condemns repression of democratic freedom in Turkmenistan (August 2009)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation expresses deep concern about the repression of independent civil society groups in Turkmenistan. With blanket bans on information and extreme levels of opaque governance, Turkmenistan is one of the most oppressive countries in the world. Despite this, many ‘western' democracies are weakening their stance on the protection of human rights in the country, in large measure due to Turkmenistan's vast hydrocarbons reserves.(Read more)
Freedom House
Study Identifies 17 Countries, Territories as World's Worst Human Rights Abusers (June 2010)
A report by the Washington-based, Freedom House cites 17 countries and three territories as the World's Worst Human Rights Abusers. The report says citizens in these countries live in extremely oppressive environments. They have few basic rights and suffer persistent human rights violations.[...] The other eight most abusive countries besides Eritrea include North Korea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Libya, Sudan, Burma, Equatorial Guinea, and Somalia. (Read more)
Human Rights Watch
Turkmenistan: Commit to Human Rights Reform (March 2009)
The Turkmen government should use the opportunity of today's UN review of its record on human rights to commit to a genuine reform agenda, Human Rights Watch said today. March 19, 2009 is Turkmenistan's final session before the United Nations' global rights body, the Human Rights Council, under its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure in Geneva. Human Rights Watch urged the Turkmen leadership to demonstrate the political will to improve its abysmal rights record by accepting and then carrying out all recommendations made during the review. (Read more)
Amnesty International
Turkmenistan fails to keep human rights promises (February 2009)
A new Amnesty International document, Individuals continue to be at risk of violations in Turkmenistan, lists cases of many people who are waiting for justice. Although the situation of several individuals whose cases have been taken up by the international community has improved, releases from prison were most often due to pardons rather than to transparent and legal processes in accordance with international law and standards. (Read more)
The foregoing information was collected by the ICNL NGO Law Monitor partner organization in Turkmenistan.