EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Turkmenistan: Authorities Intimidate RFERL Correspondent

EURASIA INSIGHT

TURKMENISTAN: AUTHORITIES INTIMIDATE RFERL CORRESPONDENT
1/06/09

A correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty working in Turkmenistan has been warned that he will face retribution, if he continues reporting for the broadcaster’s Turkmen service.

RFERL reported January 5 that state security officials interrogated Dovletmurat Yazguliev and his wife in late December. Yazguliev said he was asked to stop working for RFERL and told his extended family would suffer if he did not comply. Yazguliev indicated that the threat of imprisonment would not deter him.

"I will do my utmost to continue working for democracy, for my people," RFERL quoted Yazguliev as saying. "I am not afraid of them. I am just concerned about the method they could use against my family members."

He added he had informed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in December that he was subject to increased surveillance. He added that he has not yet received a reply from OSCE officials in Vienna concerning his complaint.

Ogulsapar Muradova, a reporter for RFERL in Turkmenistan, died in prison while serving a six year sentence for assisting a foreign correspondent. Reporters Without Borders said her death in 2006 was caused by injuries sustained during a beating. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

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