Tuhbatullin is editor of the website Chronicles of Turkmenistan and director of the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR).

The TIHR was established and registered in Vienna in November 2004. It has published information on issues such as prison conditions, treatment of ethnic minorities, freedom of association, child labour and the education system and has submitted reports about human rights to intergovernmental organizations, international media and international human rights organizations. In so doing Farid Tukhbatullin and his colleagues have shed rare rays of light on human rights violations taking place in Turkmenistan.

The group’s reports are based on information from sources inside Turkmenistan whose identity has to be withheld to protect them and their families. In recent years the Turkmenistani authorities have on many occasions tried to silence the group, including attempting to identify Farid Tukhbatullin’s correspondents and harassing and intimidating his relatives in Turkmenistan.

Some of his colleagues have been forced to leave Turkmenistan for fear of reprisals for their human rights work. Others have ended their cooperation with him following threats by the Ministry of National Security (MNS) officials. In April 2008, a Turkmenistani diplomat “recommended” that Farid Tukhbatullin either “stop his activities altogether” or “tone down” criticism of the authorities on his group’s website.

Earlier this year MNS officers interviewed friends, former teachers and classmates of his sons, apparently to identify TIHR correspondents and to put pressure on him and his sons, who live with him in exile.

Forced exile
Tuhbatullin was actively involved in promoting human rights in Turkmenistan since 1993, but was arrested in 2002 and after a period in prison forced to leave the country. He has been granted political asylum in Austria, where he is based with his family.

The threats may result from an interview on the human rights situation in Turkmenistan that Tuhbatullin gave on 28 September 2010 to the Kazakhstani TV-channel K+. The TV-channel also broadcast in Turkmenistan. The interview can be watched here and here.

In a 30 September speech on the 19th Anniversary of independence, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov underlined the importance of an uncompromised fight against international terrorism, drug smuggling, nationalistic and radical religious groups, and against those who “slander the democratic, law-based secular state of Turkmenistan.” The statement may signify intensified fight against human rights activists by Turkmen authorities, and may also explain the threats against Tubhatullin.

Over the last week, Tuhbatullin has been informed by reliable sources that an order has been issued from the Turkmen security services to get rid of him quietly; that is through a car accident, poison, or other means. Tuhbatullin has asked for help from international human rights colleagues in a public appeal.

On this background, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) is concerned for the safety of Tuhbatullin, and call upon the Austrian government to take the threat seriously and install measures to protect Tuhbatullin and his family.

NHC also urge the Norwegian Government, the EU, the US and any other governments who are in the process of establishing business relations and bilateral agreements with Turkmenistan to object to the language used in the Turkmen President’s 30 September address. Such language, encouraging uncompromised fight against dissidents, creates an atmosphere of fear and is in clear breach with Turkmenistan’s international human rights obligations.

The President’s address as well as the threats against Tuhbatullin underlines the importance of EU member states as well as other European states to ensure that they have the necessary mechanisms to ensure the safety of threatened human rights defenders.

Background
Human rights defenders and other independent civil society activists are unable to operate openly in Turkmenistan. Opposition parties do not exist. Many civil society and opposition activists live in exile. Virtually all media are state-controlled. For many years the authorities have closely monitored communication channels such as telephone lines and the internet.

In recent years international human rights organisations have received credible reports of harassment, arbitrary detention and imprisonment after unfair trials in cases involving human rights defenders and other civil society activists, independent journalists, other individuals critical of the authorities.

According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Turkmenistan poses a strong challenge to human rights research. Only a fraction of cases involving human rights violations come to the attention of human rights observers.

The authorities have denied non-governmental human rights organizations entry to the country. Independent civil society activists in Turkmenistan are often prevented from meeting with international delegations from the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and individual governments visiting the country.

According to Freedom House’s released “Worst of the Worst 2010: The World’s Most Repressive Societies” annual report, Turkmenistan is among twenty “worst of the worst” countries and territories in the World.

HRH Oslo, based on Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Human Rights Watch organization information. See the original articles here and here.

Related links:

The least free places on Earth: 2010

Kyrgyzstan: HR reporter gets life sentence, journalist remains detained