| Geldy Kyarizov, a horse
breeder who used to work for the government of Turkmenistan
but fell out of favour with the authorities, is in very poor
health and needs urgent specialist medical treatment abroad.
However, he and his family members are reportedly on a ‘black
list’ and unable to leave the country.
Amnesty International has received
credible reports that Geldy Kyarizov is currently suffering
from serious heart illness, enlarged liver and high blood
pressure, as well as gallbladder and gastric problems and
needs access to urgent specialist medical treatment. Amnesty
International fears that if he does not access the necessary
specialist medical treatment soon, his life may be in danger.
Reportedly, such specialist medical treatment is not available
to him in Turkmenistan. In similar cases Turkmenistani residents
seek medical treatment abroad. However, he and his family
members are believed to be on a ‘black list’ and
therefore unable to leave the country. His wife, sister-in-law
and daughter attempted to leave Turkmenistan in 2006, 2008
and 2010 respectively but were denied exit. Amnesty International
is also concerned that Geldy Kyarizov and his family continue
to be harassed by the authorities: they are currently under
surveillance; his wife and sister-in-law have been unable
to find employment apparently because of being related to
him.
Geldy Kyarizov used to be the director of state-run Association
Turkmen Atlary (Turkmen Horses). He was sentenced to six years’
imprisonment in an unfair trial in April 2002 on charges of
abuse of office and negligence. The charges were allegedly
brought because he had fallen out of favour with the former
President and was caught up in a clampdown that saw scores
of officials imprisoned. Geldy Kyarizov was included in the
October 2007 presidential pardon and released from prison.
Please write immediately in
Turkmen, Russian, English or your own language:
- Express concern that Geldy Kyarizov
is in a very poor state of health and that without urgent
specialist medical treatment his life may be in danger;
- Urge the authorities of Turkmenistan
to lift the travel restrictions violating Geldy Kyarizov’s
right to health and his and his family’s right to
freedom of movement and allow them to leave Turkmenistan;
- Urge the authorities to stop harassment
of Geldy Kyarizov and people close to him.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 MARCH 2012
TO: (Time difference = GMT + 5 hrs
/ BST + 4 hrs)
President of Turkmenistan
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov
Presidential Palace
744000 Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
Fax: +993 12 93 5112 (please try a couple of times between
10-1500 GMT)
Salutation: Dear President of Turkmenistan
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR
APPEAL TO
His Excellency Mr Yazmurad
N. Seryaev
Embassy of Turkmenistan
2nd Floor South
St George's House
14/17 Wells Street
London W1T 3PD
Fax: 020 7323 9184
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Rashid Meredov
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
83 pr. Magtymguly
744000 Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
Email: mfatm@online.tm
Fax: +993 12 93 4241 (please try a couple of times between
10-1500 GMT)
Salutation: Dear Minister
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In 2010, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov
reportedly signed a new decree prohibiting the exit and entry
to the country of thousands of named individuals and organisations.
The decree was sent to migration services, border guards,
security forces and police stations around the country. The
new decree is reported to explicitly bar 37,057 listed individuals
from leaving Turkmenistan. Reportedly, it instructs Turkmenistani
border authorities to prevent listed international human rights
organizations, including Amnesty International, from entering
to the country, as well as over 8,000 named individuals of
various nationalities.
Over several years Amnesty International
has documented the Turkmenistani government’s punishment
and intimidation of human rights activists, relatives and
friends of exiled dissidents, and opposition members, in order
to silence their critical voices. Restrictions on the right
to freedom of movement have been used in an attempt to punish
perceived critics of the Turkmenistani government and have
even targeted their relatives. Amnesty International knows
about cases where the relatives of the dissidents died in
Turkmenistan after having been prevented from travelling abroad
to receive necessary medical treatment.
For instance, on 15 November 2009,
Ovez Annaev died of at the age of 46 after being denied permission
to travel to Moscow for treatment not available in Turkmenistan,
for his heart disease. He and other members of his family
were barred from leaving the country after his brother-in-law,
Khudayberdy Orazov, exiled leader of the opposition movement
Vatan (Motherland), was sentenced to life imprisonment in
his absence for his alleged involvement in the armed attack
on former President Niyazov in November 2002.
PLEASE CHECK WITH THE INDIVIDUALS
AT RISK PROGRAMME AT AIUK BEFORE SENDING APPEALS AFTER 16
MARCH 2012
Individuals at Risk Programme, Amnesty International UK, 17-25
New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA, 0207 033 1572, iar@amnesty.org.uk.
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