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Annakurban Amanklychev

United Nations declares Turkmenistan’s detention of Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev a violation of international lawposted on: 2010/11/12

In response to a petition filed by Freedom Now and Hogan Lovells LLP (formerly Hogan & Hartson), the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention publicly released its opinion that in arresting and continuing to detain Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev, the Government of Turkmenistan is in violation of international law. The opinion calls on the Government of Turkmenistan to release the two human rights advocates.

Further Information

Freedom Now Executive Director Maran Turner stated: “In its opinion, the Working Group judged the Government of Turkmenistan’s arrest and detention of Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev to be arbitrary and affirmed that the government’s actions were a means to punish the two men for their human rights advocacy.

We urge the Turkmen government to comply with the UN decision, uphold its commitments to international law, and immediately release prisoners of conscience Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev.

Messrs. Amanklychev and Khadzhiev, both members of the human rights group the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation, were arrested in 2006.

Fears for three Turkmen human rights defenders held incommunicadoposted on: 2006/08/03

Three Turkmen human rights defenders arrested on charges of “illegal weapons possession” have been held in prison without contact with lawyers or family members for over a month.

Front Line believes that the charges against Annakurban Amanklychev, Ogulsapar Muradova and Sapadurdy Khajiyev are fabricated because of their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights.

All three human rights defenders are members of the Bulgarian based NGO, the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation (THF) and Ogulsapar Muradova also works as a journalist for the American-funded Radio Liberty.

Front Line has received reports that the three have been ill treated in detention and Amanklychev and Muradova were forcibly administered psychotropic drugs in order to extract confessions.