Independent journalist Saparmamed Nepeskuliev has complained about constant surveillance and posted a photo of individuals in civilian clothes, who keep vigil in front of his house.
According to Saparmamed, he has been under constant surveillance immediately after he was released from imprisonment in May 2018.
Young men are following him wherever he goes. “I am under round-the-clock surveillance. They are on look-out all the time. As a shadow, they keep following me wherever I go, which is very annoying”, the reporter said.
The perpetrators do not hide but, on the contrary, follow him ostentatiously. At the same time, they have no interaction with the journalist whatsoever, except one incident which occurred in October 2018 when one of the men threw stones at Saparmamed.
May 2018 in Let us recall that in May 2018 a freelance journalist Saparmamed Nepeskuliev, who had contributed to Radio “Liberty” and Alternative Turkmenistan News, was released from imprisonment after serving 3 years in prison.
Nepeskuliev was arrested in July 2015. He was sentenced to a three year imprisonment term for possession of Tramadol a prescription drug banned in Turkmenistan.
The arrest followed publications of critical photos and video footage about Turkmenistan made by Nepeskuliev.
The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights and other international human rights organizations continue to follow up on his fate.