Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that a group of 11 human rights organizations signed an appeal to the Turkish government calling on them to halt plans to deport the Turkmen activist Dursoltan Taganova to Turkmenistan, where she will be at grave risk of arbitrary arrest and torture.
Turkish authorities should immediately release Taganova from custody. Turkey’s international partners should call on Ankara to uphold its international legal obligations and not deport Taganova, who is seeking asylum in Turkey, to Turkmenistan, according to human rights activists.
Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch said that Turkmenistan is known to severely harass and punish peaceful critics of the government. To return Dursoltan Taganova to Turkmenistan would place her at grave risk of persecution and torture, a human rights defender is convinced.
Below is the list of human rights organizations which signed the appeal:
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee;
Crude Accountability;
Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights;
Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan;
Freedom Files;
Human Rights Watch;
Institute of Human Rights;
Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights;
Memorial Human Rights Center;
Norwegian Helsinki Committee;
Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.
Let us recall that on 19 July, 2020 the Turkmen activists intended to hold a new rally in front of Turkmenistan’s Consulate Office in Istanbul.
Previously the Turkmen nationals had already organized several spontaneous protests, but on that day, however, the Turkish police detained over 70 people before the rally.According to some data, this was done at the request of staff of Turkmenistan’s Embassy who claimed that the rally had not been authorized by the local authorities.
Most detainees were released later that day. “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reported that Taganova was the only Turkmen citizen whom Turkish authorities kept in custody. According to a Turkish law enforcement officer, the consulate’s written complaint specifically mentioned Taganova.
Later “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” learned that the Turkish police, despite all promises, handed over the list of detainees (72 people) to Turkmenistan.